LOST love
by A Bleeding Rose
Summary: The gang have been marooned on the island for a month. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! Everyone else is still the same with the same love-triangle things for the most part. Enjoy!
1. The nightmare

"Sayid…Sayid, no. Please, no…"

Charlie woke up, from a rather nice dream, to hear Alexandra beside him moaning about Sayid. _Great_, he thought. _She's_ _prolly dreaming about very raunchy things._ _And I have to hear about it all night long, I suppose._

"Please, Sayid…don't….go in….there…"

Charlie raised his eyebrows with interest. _Maybe this will be good after all._ He chuckled silently to himself. Alexandra tossed and shook her head beside him, making this seem very erotic. Charlie thought about shaking her awake when all of a sudden she let out a scream to shake the heavens. Charlie freaked and practically flew out of his sleeping bag to scramble away. Her body arched upward with her head still on the ground, her hands clutched at nothing, and then she sat up, still screaming.

"Alexandra! Alexandra, enough! It's okay! It's okay!" Charlie yelled. He crawled hurriedly across the sand and grabbed her shoulders. "It's okay, Alexandra! I'm here."

The screaming stopped. Alexandra looked at Charlie, tears beginning to come down her face. She was shaking so hard and gasping mixed with sobs.

Suddenly, crashing through the brush, appeared Jack, Sawyer, and Kate. "What happened? What's wrong?" Jack asked. Sawyer was swinging a gun around trying to look for an attacker.

"I don't know…all of a sudden, she just started screaming bloody murder. She was dreaming about Sayid and then woke up screaming," said Charlie.

Sawyer uncocked the gun and rubbed his face. "So, you're saying that we woke up because of her having a nightmare? Jesus…and I thought it was important."

"Sayid…where is Sayid? Sayid!" Alexandra suddenly cried out. Kate walked over to her and crouched in front of her. She took her shoulders and said, "Alexandra…look at me. Why do you need Sayid? He's fine…you were dreaming."

"Please! I need Sayid. Sayid! Sayid!"

"Here!" Sayid appeared from the other side of the camp, stepping over a rotten log.

"Sayid!" Scrambling up, nearly tripping over her own feet, Alexandra lunged toward Sayid and caught him in a fierce hug. Sayid grunted with surprise and looked at Jack for an explanation. He shrugged and Charlie was scratching his head, thoroughly confused.

"Sayid! You're okay! Oh, thank God you're alright." By now, tears were streaming down her face. "Oh God I had the most horrible nightmare…" Sayid returned the hug and stroked her blonde hair, his expression calming. "Ssh…it's alright; I am here…sshhh…" Suddenly, Alexandra grabbed his right hand and traced her fingers along the palm of his hand, seemingly searching for something. Finding nothing, she grabbed him again in a bear hug.

Sayid gently pulled her off of him and stared into her eyes. "What was this dream of yours?" he asked gently. "And why were you tracing my hand like that?"

Alexandra's face grew troubled; her body seemed to tense up and she let go of him. She looked at the others and swallowed hard.

"I… I dreamed that I was talking with Claire on the beach about random stuff, and Sayid asked me to follow him. So I did… and he kept leading me deeper and deeper into the forest. I asked where we were going and he said, "To a secret place." I didn't question it, but as we went farther along, I knew we were heading someplace very bad…" she paused, searching the faces of the others.

"Where?" asked Kate.

"I didn't know then, but I just knew it was full of evil. He waved me on further and I saw something on his palm…a black design, with sharp points and circles. For some reason, I thought it was a map…but that's stupid. Anyways, we found this cave and he said he was going in it. I knew that something bad would happen and I tried to run after him to stop him, but every time I almost reached him, he would evade my grasp. I kept hearing whispers in the forest… "Turn back, turn back," it kept saying. "Leave this place, turn back." Then I saw…I saw Ethan standing in front of the cave, grinning at me. Not grinning, more like…leering… Sayid didn't see him, but I was screaming for Sayid to not go in there…" Alexandra broke off to stifle oncoming sobs.

_Damn,_ thought Charlie. _So it wasn't raunchy._

She continued, "But then, Ethan became very angry and attacked Sayid. That's when I woke up…it was so real…I could feel the wind, the grass, and I could hear Sayid talking to me and…it just felt so real…"

"I told you this place is haunted!" Sawyer said angrily. "I knew it! I heard those whispers, too! Sayid, if I'm not mistaken, heard 'em, too."

"Alexandra," said Jack, "what did this cave look like? Would you recognize it again if you saw it?"

"Yes, of course I would. It was in the shadow of a great black rock, like mountain-sized…very wide open cave with no stalactites or anything."

Sayid looked at Jack quickly. "The black rock! It keeps coming back to us…but in dreams or on maps…no one has seen it."

"But why does it only keep coming in our dreams? The last time that happened, Claire got kidnapped. Now it seems it's after you, Sayid," said Kate.

"Me? But why would it be after me?" asked Sayid.

"We don't know, but now that we know it was just a nightmare, let's go back to sleep," said Sawyer.

"I agree," said Charlie.

The others bid their goodnights and headed back off to their sleeping areas. Jack stayed for two seconds to ask if Alexandra was alright, then went back off to sleep. Sayid remained, still talking with Alexandra. "Maybe…maybe I should…stay," said Sayid awkwardly. "I mean…to see if you have any more dreams about…the cave."

Alexandra smiled softly and kissed his cheek. "Alright, but I probably won't have any more dreams tonight." She moseyed back to her sleeping spot, a groove in the sand and a blanket.

Charlie got up and came over to Sayid. He saw that he was looking at Alexandra softly and Charlie followed his gaze. She appeared to be almost asleep. Charlie turned to Sayid and asked, "So, are you going to stay here or go back to your campsite?" Sayid said, "No, I will stand watch tonight, in case…" He never looked away from Alexandra.

the next morning

Alexandra woke up to hear birds peeping and the ocean roaring. Blinking her eyes against the bright sun, she sat up. Then she saw Sayid sitting on the rotten log, cutting open a melon, unaware she was awake. Sniffing the air, she could smell its ripe and tangy scent.

"Mmm, I can smell that from over here," she said stretching.

Sayid looked up and smiled. He stood up and came over to her. He crouched down and offered her a piece. She willingly took it and took a bite. Sweet juice flooded into her mouth. Closing her eyes, all she could say was, "Mmm…" Sayid was just staring at that lovely face, content with that.

Looking around, Alexandra noticed that Charlie was gone. "Where did Charlie go?"

Broken from his trance, Sayid sat down with a thud in the sand and said, "He relieved me of my guard duty sometime this morning. I don't know where he's gone." Alexandra shrugged and kept eating her melon.


	2. Uh oh!

Chapter 2 to LOST Love

Alexandra and Sayid had finished their breakfast, laughing at silly things, and headed down to the beach. All of the castaways were in a group, talking very seriously, apparently, even though Alexandra and Sayid couldn't hear their words.

When they got closer, Jack looked at them and said, "Hey, have any of you guys seen Charlie?"

Alexandra shook her head and Sayid said, "He relieved me of night watch early this morning, but I haven't seen him since. Why?"

Jack sighed and said, "Because Charlie's gone missing…"

Alexandra gasped. Kate stepped in and said, "We've organized search parties. Alex, Sayid, Jin, Jack, and Sun, you are a group. Sawyer, Michael, Shannon, Hurley, and I are the group. Claire, will you stay on the beach with the baby and watch Walt and his dog?"

Claire said indignantly, "I want to be part of the search party. I want to find Charlie as much as you do."

Shannon spoke up. "I will stay on the beach and watch the three of them. Is that alright with you, Claire?"

Claire nodded and handed her the baby (whose name is Marie, btw). Walt whined, "Aw, Dad, can I come, too?"

Michael said, "No, son. It's too dangerous. And besides, I don't think your dog would want to follow us all the way through the jungle. Remember when he escaped? You need to watch him and help Shannon take care of Marie, okay?"

Walt looked down and nodded. The groups agreed to meet back at the beach by nightfall. Claire told Shannon a few instructions about the baby, and then walked back to her group. Kate's group agreed to take the north side and Jack's group agreed to take the east side.

An hour later

Jack's group was searching for Charlie everywhere. Jack had warned against calling out for him because that polar bear or something else might hear them. Alex was absorbed in her own thoughts. Sayid could see the tension working across her face as her mind was racing.

"Something troubles you?" Sayid asked quietly.

"No, it's just…my dream. It's been troubling me. Wait…my dream! That's it!" Suddenly, she gasped, her eyes lighting up with inspiration. "Jack! Jack!" she cried out.

Jack turned and asked, "What?"

Alexandra said, "I know where Charlie is!"

Jack grabbed her shoulders and demanded, "Where, Alexandra? Where?"

Alexandra said, "Remember my nightmare last night? The cave…I think that's where he is."

Jack thought about it, and then asked, "Do you know where the cave is? Like, do you know how to get there?"

Alexandra nodded. "Follow me." She completely changed direction and started heading west. Jack looked at Sayid questioningly, but Sayid only shrugged. Who knew what was going to happen with that complicated mind of hers.

On the other side of the island

Kate's group was calling out for Charlie for a while before their voices started giving out. Claire was walking with a tireless determination to find Charlie before it was too…_no don't think about that, Claire. He's fine…I hope_, Claire thought to herself. Sawyer was carrying his gun in his hand and looking apprehensive. He was expecting an attack any minute.

Suddenly, Michael called out, "Hey guys! I think I found something!"

The group walked over to where Michael was standing. "What did you find?" asked Hurley. Michael pointed to a group of trees and the group looked. Claire was the first to speak, "It's a house! In the middle of nowhere!" Kate countered that and said, "No, it's more like a shack. Be very quiet and careful…"

Hurley asked, "Why would someone be living here? This island is uninhabited, except for us and the ghosts. Why are we gonna check it out? It looks…creepy."

Michael chuckled. "Are you scared, Hurley?"

Hurley said indignantly, "Yeah, I'm freaked, man. Someone _lives_ there…someone we don't know. For all we know, it could be some crazy psycho like…like Ethan."

Claire shuddered. Kate said, "But Ethan's dead. Charlie shot him like eight times. He's not coming back to life. And I'm sure his ghost doesn't haunt the shack, either. So come on."

**Ooo, what's in the creepy shack? And will Alex's group find the cave in time? Stay tuned for more!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	3. Creepy cave and creepy shack

Chapter 3 to LOST Love

**We come back to Alex's group, for the moment leaving the creepy shack.**

A few hours later, Sun tapped Alexandra on the shoulder. Alex turned and softly questioned her with her eyes. Sun tried to explain, "Long time. No rock."

Alexandra looked puzzled. Then she realized that she meant the cave when she said the rock. Alexandra pointed to a clump of trees and said, "It's just past those trees, see?"

Sun looked to where she was pointing, nodded and smiled. She turned to Jin and explained in Korean.

Sayid came up to her as well and said, "It has been a long time…do you know where you are going?" His eyes held hope that she did, but his tone implied that she didn't. "This cave could be…"

Alexandra held her hand up and said, "Ssh…" She scanned the area and then closed her eyes. Her dreamed flashed through her head. She could see Sayid walking in front of her, evading her grasp…The trees rustled and sighed in the wind…

She opened her eyes and said, "Yes, I know it's this way. Have faith." She turned and kept walking.

Sayid mentally started hitting himself. _Stupid stupid! You should have trusted her! It was her dream after all. Stupid!_

Soon, they reached the clump of trees Alexandra had been pointing to and looked around. They could see for miles with this view. It was now mid-day and the sun was at it's highest. Everyone was starting to sweat in the heat.

Suddenly, Alexandra pointed to their right and they all looked up. There was the cave! Alexandra shivered in remembrance of her dream…it looked even scarier now that it was real. Sayid fully looked at the cave with his keen eyes…There was a steep hill heading up to the cave. It was fairly large, no hanging crystals or stalactites to be seen. It looked very dark and ominous in this bright sunlight. Huge trees surrounded it, seemingly sheltering that darkness.

Alexandra turned to Claire and asked, "Claire? Are you okay with this climb? After all, you just had your baby two weeks ago…"

Claire smiled slightly and said, "I'm a tough girl. I can handle it. If I can carry a baby and then give birth to it, I can do damn near anything. Besides…" her expression darkened severely, "Charlie's up there. I can feel it."

**Back to Kate's group…**

They approached the shack quietly. When they reached the front door, Kate bent down to examine the grass in front of it. "This has been in use recently. The grass is all stamped down," she said quietly. Michael went in front of her and very silently pushed the wooden door open. It wasn't really a wooden door, it was just made out of sticks tied together that were somehow tied to one side of the door to make hinges.

Michael went in and the group followed. There was a crudely fashioned table and chair meant for one person and a bunch of rags on the floor. Kate assumed it was a makeshift bed. There were knives everywhere…hanging from the ceiling, on the table, even some were on the floor. There were all sizes, ranging from small throwing knives to huge butcher knives.

"What would someone do with so many knives?" Hurley asked quietly. Kate simply shook her head. Suddenly, a breeze blew in through the open door, causing the knives hanging from the ceiling to sway. Very threatening looking…

Suddenly, a huge knife dropped right in front of Kate, narrowly missing her face! She screamed and jumped back. The knife hit the floor at an odd angle and spun along the floor. The knife slowly spun and then stopped right in front of Kate, sharp end pointing at her, and looking closer, she realized there was blood on the tip of the knife!

Only Boone wasn't afraid. He had been very quiet through this whole escapade, and still didn't say anything. He picked up the knife and said, "Come on, let's get out of here."

Hurley instantly agreed and ran out the door. Everyone followed him except Boone. He stayed for a second, looking around. Kate turned and said warningly, "Boone? Are you coming?" Boone stared at her and reluctantly followed her out of the door.

**Oooo, creepy Boone has some creepy secret about the creepy shack! lol too many creepies in one line…Is Charlie really in the cave? We shall see!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	4. Missing

**We join Alex's group yet again…**

The climb up to the cave was difficult, but everyone seemed to manage. Even Claire was doing alright on her own. Alexandra smiled at her bravery and determination. Sayid was right behind her and Jack was climbing ahead of her.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they reached the cave. Alexandra's fears had grown worse as they climbed higher and higher, but she tried to shove them aside as they stared into the entrance of the cave. She wasn't very successful, but then she remembered Charlie and how he had helped her wake up from the nightmare, and that helped to push her fears aside, too.

Jack cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled into the cave, "Charlie!" A deep, resounding echo sounded through the cave. They listened for a few seconds, when suddenly the group heard a small "Mmm!" sound through the darkness. A muffled sound, like the person was being gagged.

"That's him! That's Charlie!" Claire practically shouted. "Charlie! We're coming for you!"

"Mmm! Mmm-mmm! Mmm-mmm!"

Alexandra said, "I'll go in there. I'll be right back. Sayid, give me your pocket knife."

Jack stepped up to her, shaking his head. "Uh-uh, no way are you going in there by yourself. Sayid and I will go. You stay out here with Sun and Jin." Sayid squeezed her hand in reassurance, and with that, they both took off inside the cave.

Alexandra sat down with a heavy thud, upset with Jack about not letting her go. Sun and Jin also sat down on the opposite side of the cave and turned their backs to Alexandra, talking in Korean all the while.

Alexandra sighed, and then suddenly, there was a sharp rap on her head and the world went dark. Sun and Jin didn't notice at all.

**Kate's group has gone away from the creepy shack…**

Kate sat with Shannon and Hurley after going back to the beach. Kate would shudder from time to time, thinking about how closely that knife missed her. Trying to make small talk, she asked Shannon about Walt and the baby.

"The baby was fine, it's just that Walt kept running off and I would have to get up and chase him back here. He and that dog are, like, best friends I guess. Walt has a bit of an attitude problem, if you know what I mean. Marie here was just fine for me. Been sleeping for the most part…I kept her out of the sun by sitting under that wing of the plane."

Hurley said, "She's so adorable…for a kid, I mean. She looks a lot like Claire, too. Especially her eyes and her mouth…" he stopped, for Kate and Shannon were giggling. "What? What's so funny? It's true!"

Kate laughed, "Do you have a crush on Claire, Hurley? 'Cuz the way you're talking about her baby…" she broke off laughing.

Hurley's face turned pink with embarrassment and he got up and stormed off. Kate and Shannon just kept laughing and laughing. Sawyer sauntered over and sat down next to Kate. Shannon immediately got up and walked away. She didn't like Sawyer at all.

"So, Freckles, what do you think about that shack? Pretty creepy, huh?"

Kate stopped laughing instantly. Her face grew serious and she said, "Do you think that might have been Ethan's place? I mean, with all those knives…" she stopped, unwilling to continue the sentence.

"I don't know, but he ain't gonna use it any time soon. I say we go back there and get some of those knives and some of the other stuff he had lying around."

"Well, if you want to go back there, be my guest. As for me, I am not going anywhere near that place ever again."

Sawyer paused. He said quietly, "That knife really scared you, didn't it?"

Kate looked at him, slightly questioning, and slightly sad. "Yeah, I guess it did. I don't even know why it's just...I felt that that place was, I dunno, haunted I guess. That knife, how it pointed at me like that, with the blood on it and everything…I just freaked out."

Sawyer leaned over and gently kissed her. She returned the kiss willingly. When they broke apart, all Kate could say was, "Wow…"

**A couple hours later**

Nightfall had come and Kate was pacing on the beach, waiting for Jack's group to come back. Suddenly, she heard people coming up behind her and she turned around. She jogged towards Jack, smiling, happy to see him. Her smile dropped when she saw him. He looked very worried about something.

She forced a smile anyways. "Good, you found Charlie. Where was he?"

Distractedly, Jack answered, "He was in the cave. That cave that Alexandra dreamed about in her nightmare. You haven't seen her, have you? When Sayid and I went down into the cave to get Charlie, she wasn't there when we came out again."

Kate paused, confused. "Woah woah woah…that cave actually _exists!_ And no, I haven't seen her. Shit, that means she's gone, too. Ugh!" Kate kicked at the sand furiously.

Jack called another missing-person meeting. This time, it was hard for him to say that Alexandra was gone. He could barely make out the words that they would look for her without tearing up.

Sayid meanwhile had said nothing the entire trip back. He had walked back like a desolate ghost, unwilling to move and forcing himself to. Everyone could tell he wanted to be left alone. This tragedy hit him the hardest out of any of them.

He excused himself after the meeting and went to lie down to sleep. But he just couldn't do it. Her face kept floating in front of his mind's eye, her laughter kept sounding in his ears…tears started up in his eyes and he let them fall. Eventually, he cried himself to an exhausted sleep.

**Oh no! Alexandra's missing! Eeep! Stay tuned for another great chapter! lol**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	5. She's alive!

Chapter 5 to LOST Love

For the next two days, Jack had sent out search parties, but every night they had come back with nothing. Sayid had put all of his effort and energy into finding Alexandra, but each day he was met with disappointment and grief. He neither ate nor slept, save for a few sips of water. He was so guilt-ridden that he let this happen to her, his stomach couldn't handle any food.

Sayid, Sawyer, and Jack went out to gather food. The gang had run out of herbs and fruit, so they went to a cluster of fruit trees that they had found to gather some more. Sayid was so absorbed in his thoughts that he picked fruit mindlessly, even some unripe ones. Seeing this, Jack came over to Sayid and put his hand on his shoulder.

Sayid looked at him with blank eyes, so bereft of emotion it was scary. "Why don't you go back to the beach and get some rest," Jack said. "You look very tired."

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes and suddenly a person jumped out from behind them and took off running. Startled, Sawyer fired his gun at the person, not thinking it could have been one of their own. His aim was a little off, but the bullet struck anyways and the person fell with a cry. Sayid, Sawyer and Jack ran to see who they had hit, but the person was already up and running, clutching its arm.

Suddenly, the men entered a clearing where they found the person pressed up flat against a wall of rock, looking for a way out. Sayid gasped with recognition…it was Alexandra! She was alive and apparently very freaked out. She was panting and trying to press herself flatter and flatter against the wall in fear. Blood was coursing down her arm, but she paid it no mind. She moved her frightened gaze between the three men quickly.

"Alexandra…" Sayid tried to say. Suddenly, she looked past them, pointed and screamed. The men whipped around thinking something was there, but nothing was. They turned back around to find that she had gone! Jack cried, "There!" and pointed to their right where she had taken off running.

_It was a trick to get us to look away!_ thought Sayid. The men took off running after her. They had run a short ways before they saw her run toward the edge of a cliff and wheel her arms to catch her balance again. "Alex!" Sayid cried out.

She whipped around, panting, scared to death. Sayid said, "Alex…it's me, Sayid, remember? Remember me? Oh, please remember me." Alexandra's brow creased with thought but she didn't do anything. Her eyes sort of glazed over with pain and she slowly sank to her knees, clutching her arm.

Seeing that she was really hurt, Sayid stepped toward her to help but seeing his movement, she crawled backwards on her hands and feet away from him and the cliff, sort of turning to her left before moving. Sayid took another step toward her, not understanding, but she crawled back another few steps, completely terrified of him. She kept making moaning noises and soft "uh's" as she crawled away. She looked like a frightened and wounded animal, crawling on the ground like that.

Jack sank down to a crouch and said, "Alexandra, it's okay. Remember us? It's me, Jack…remember?"

Alexandra just stared up at him in horror. These men scared her…she didn't know why, they were just terrifying.

"Why doesn't she understand, doc?" Sawyer asked.

"I don't know…amnesia maybe, I'm not sure," Jack replied, getting up from his crouch.

_What were they saying? She couldn't understand…her arm hurt so badly… _Suddenly, her eyes clouded with pain and she clutched her arm, momentarily looking away from the men, moaning as she did. Blood was now flowing steadily down her arm and her hand, soaking her shirt as well.

Sayid, concern and fear deep in his expression, ran towards her and crouched down to try and pick her up. He barely touched her knee when she sucked in her breath through clenched teeth, like she'd been burned, and her eyes shot open. She scrambled away from his touch again, baring her teeth and staring at him.

"Alexandra, please. It's Sayid, remember? You've been gone for two days…where did you go? Please, Alex, try to understand," Sayid begged. He was almost crying from frustration and fear for her.

She just stared at him and shook her head with not understanding. "Ah…" was all she could say before her vision swam again and she passed out. Sayid, carefully this time, inched his way to her in case she should crawl away again. She didn't move when Sayid touched her. So he gently picked her up and made his way down to the caves where Jack's medicine bag was to clean her wound.

As Sayid was walking away, Jack suddenly turned on Sawyer, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and pulled him closer. "Why the hell did you do that?"

Sawyer tried to shove him off, but to no avail. "Do what, doc?"

Jack practically yelled, "Shoot her, you idiot! You could have killed her! You _know_ how Sayid feels about her. You can see it in his face, goddamit!"

"I'm sorry, doc! I got freaked when she sprang from the bushes like that…it creeped you out, too, don't deny it. I was just the one who acted first and I used my instincts," Sawyer explained. "It's not like she's dead either, she's just hurt. I'm sorry I hurt her, I just thought it was Ethan or someone else crazy."

"Oh, great, you used your instincts and the first thing that comes to your mind is to shoot people. I'm never going to surprise you again, lest I end up shot, too," Jack said sarcastically. "Ethan's dead, by the way. In case you didn't see Charlie shoot him eight times, then here's your reminder. He's not coming back to life, okay Sawyer?"

"Yeah, well, I just got freaked that's all. So let's just leave it at that, shall we?"

Jack just glared at him with contempt written all over his face. "Alright, alright. Let's just see how she's doing." They both headed back to the beach, not speaking to each other at all.

**At the Caves…**

Sayid had laid her down on a bunch of airplane pillows and blankets by the time Jack and Sawyer returned. Everyone else came running when they heard that they had found Alex. They started asking Jack a ton of questions at once, but Jack silenced them, saying he had to concentrate.

Jack stitched up her wound, which was very deep and took a while for the bleeding to stop. Her face was deathly white; she had lost a ton of blood. She wouldn't wake up to eat or drink anything, so there was nothing left to do but hope for her recovery. Sayid sat by her the whole time, holding her hand, even though she didn't squeeze back.

Jack stood up and so did Sayid. They turned to everyone standing, or in Charlie's case, pacing, and Jack said, "There's not much more I can do. We just have to let her sleep and hope she recovers."

"Will she be okay, Jack?" Shannon asked. She liked Alex and they had become friends.

"Honestly, I don't know. She has a good chance, but I truly don't know."

"Come on, Jack, you're the doctor, here. Tell us she'll be okay! We've lost too many people already," Charlie said. Claire put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He took it and squeezed it back.

"Guys, I don't have proper hospital equipment, so I honestly can't say anything for sure! She looks like she might be alright, if she will wake up. But if she doesn't…" he didn't finish the sentence. Everyone knew what he meant, though. It was very obvious; if she didn't wake up, she would die.

**Will she wake up? Or will Sayid be tormented by her death? We shall see!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	6. Cornered

Chapter 6 to LOST Love

Sayid and Jack began to head outside and everyone else turned to follow, when suddenly, they heard a moan coming from the cave.

Sayid whipped around and walked briskly back into the cave. Alexandra was sitting up, clutching her head, then her arm. Looking to her right, she suddenly saw all those people staring at her. Freaking out, she scrambled out of the makeshift bed and backed up against the wall of the cave, sitting down. Groping it with her fingers and trying to dig her nails into the stone, she inched herself into a corner. She was repeating the forest incident again…

Sayid crouched down in front of her. She tried to push herself father into the corner away from him, still clutching the wall. She kept making those small "uh" noises and moaning with fear, her eyes so wide they couldn't have possibly gone any wider. She looked like a child afraid of the dark…

"Alex…please…listen to my voice…it's alright. We are here for you. Come back to me…" Sayid begged.

Shaking her head and still moaning with fear, she curled up into a ball facing the cave wall, with her right shoulder facing Sayid. She started gently stroking the wall, willing them to leave. _Maybe if they would leave, they wouldn't hurt me…They wouldn't hurt me…leave…leave…_

She looked like a crazy person, sitting there moaning and crawling on the ground like an animal in fear. She didn't remember them at all; her mind was completely shot and the only thing she reacted to was fear. She had been hurt, both mentally and physically, Sayid guessed. He could see that her shirt in the back was ripped in several places…they looked like whip marks. Or even knife marks... Sayid couldn't be sure.

Suddenly, a growling noise came from her. Sayid's eyebrows creased with confusion…suddenly there it was again. Her stomach was growling! He almost would have laughed if it wasn't so serious. He picked up a fruit that he had carried in his backpack and set it down in front of her.

She immediately pushed herself up against the wall in terror. She made a soft but indignant, "Mmm!" in reply. It was like a little kid saying, "Mmm!" when they don't want to try something. What was he doing? This was all so terrifying…_they hurt me…pain…all I remember is pain…_

"Guys, she's cornered. She will eventually try to fight her way out…let's just leave her alone." Kate's voice snapped them out of the reverie. Alex's gaze snapped to Kate's eyes. Kate nodded toward the fruit and began to back out of the cave slowly. The others eventually caught her drift and did the same. Soon they were all gone.

Alex slowly turned her gaze toward the fruit on the floor. She sniffed the air hesitatingly, suspecting something. When no one came to the entrance of the cave, she started to extend her hand toward it, but then drew it back, frightened. Her gaze shot up to the cave entrance again, but no one was there.

She tried again and managed to grab the fruit and slowly pull it back. Her gaze kept flashing toward the entrance of the cave, terrified that those people would come back. No one did, but she was still wary. Inhaling the fruit's wonderful scent, she plunged into it, juice spilling everywhere. She hadn't eaten in two days so she was starving. The fruit felt fabulous against her parched throat.

Little did she know, Sayid was standing right outside the cave, cautiously peering around the corner of the cave to watch her. She couldn't see him, but he could see her. She was so helpless and so confused…she didn't even remember him. That broke Sayid's heart, that awful fact. He turned away and sat against the outside of the cave. He pulled his knees to his chest, put his head on his arms, and started to sob.

**Awww, poor Sayid! My heart's breaking right now! aaah I don't think I can continue right now I feel so bad for them both!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	7. Remembrance

Chapter 7 to a LOST Love

Alexandra heard the sobs coming from outside the cave. She was frightened of this strange place, but curiosity was getting to her, like an itch that was going to drive her mad. She slowly stood up, still clutching the wall. She dropped her fruit rind onto the ground, momentarily forgetting it. Gripping the wall to balance her shaky legs, she slowly made her way toward the entrance of the cave. She peered around the edge of the cave and looked down to see the strange man shaking.

She cocked her head like an animal studying something, and her expression softened. This man was sad…she didn't know why…he was just very sad. Suddenly, he looked up at her, face wet with tears. He stood up to greet her, but she cowered back behind the wall of the cave, her eyes never leaving his.

"Alexandra…it's alright, I am not going to hurt you," Sayid said softly. "Do you remember me? Sayid?"

She slowly peeked out from behind the rock. He could see her mind was working furiously as she tried to comprehend his words. Placing a hand on his chest for emphasis, Sayid sounded out his name for her. "Say-YID…Say-YID," he said. He felt very stupid, but he was willing to try anything to get her to remember.

He could see her mouth move a little, working the name out. Suddenly, a sound came out of her mouth…it was something like, "Sa…sa…say…" Sayid tapped his chest again, saying, "Say-YID."

"Sa…say…say-yid. Say-yid," she was saying. "Sayid."

"Yes, yes! Sayid!" Sayid was practically jumping up and down with joy. He took a step toward her, but she immediately ducked behind the rock wall again. He took a step back, sad again.

"Sayid. Sayid." Suddenly, Alexandra's face grew worried as she repeated his name over and over again. Her hand went to her forehead as she said his name like a mantra. She got more and more excited each time she said the name.

"Sayid! I remember! Sayid, I remember!" She was started to laugh. Suddenly her face grew disturbed again. "Oh God, Sayid…I remember…oh God…oh God, I remember."

Gasping loudly, she turned away from Sayid and went back into the cave. He followed her in there and saw her leaning against the wall, shaking with fear. She was still saying, "Oh God, I remember…I remember…oh God…"

She turned to face him, and said again, "Sayid. Oh Sayid, yes, I remember again!" Catching her up in a fierce hug, Sayid swung her around the cave till he was dizzy. Setting her down, they were both laughing and hugging again. Grabbing her hand, he said, "Come on! We're going to the beach!"

Racing down to the beach, with Alex in tow, he burst out of the trees and shouted happily, "She's remembered! She's remembered everything!"

Everyone got up and walked quickly towards them. Alexandra focused on Jack and, digging up in her memory, she said, "Ja…Jack!" Laughing, she hugged him. Turning toward Kate, she stuttered for a second before she said her name. Kate laughed, too, and they hugged each other. Alex remembered everyone's name and hugged each of them in return, save for Sawyer, who said, "Whoa there, princess, I'm not a hugger." She even remembered little Marie. When she got to Boone, she stopped, her smile gone. Stepping backwards, nearly tripping in the sand, all she could say was, "You!"

Everyone was confused. "Alex?" Sayid asked. "What's wrong?" Sayid touched her shoulders and she put her arms vertically in front of her chest, as if protecting herself, and put them against Sayid's chest, still staring at Boone. Sayid wrapped his arms around her comfortingly and glared at Boone for making her upset.

Jack turned to Boone and asked cautiously, "Boone? Why is she acting funny around you?"

Boone shrugged and continued to stare at Alex. Something was going on inside his head, but everyone else assumed it was confusion. Suddenly, Alex broke away from Sayid and lunged at Boone. Unaware of the sudden attack, Boone hit the ground hard, nearly cracking his head open on some driftwood. He narrowly missed it by inches, but he rolled Alex over so that he was the one pinning her. She flipped him over again then grabbed his throat with her bare hands, choking him.

"Boone! Don't hurt her!" Shannon screamed. "Boone!"

Suddenly, Sawyer yanked Alex off her feet and pushed her away from Boone. "What's the matter with you, girl? You're crazy…" Sayid caught Alex before she fell and turned her away from Boone, whispering soft words into her ear to calm her. Shaking from the fight, Alex suddenly tried to whip around Sayid and run toward Boone. Sayid stopped her with his body and clutched her arms hard.

"Alex! Listen to me! Alex, stop!" Sayid yelled.

"Tell them, Boone! Tell them what you did! Tell them what you did to me!" Alex screamed at him.

**:Ominous music: dun dun duuuuuuh! what is this? Is Alex crazy, or does Boone really have something to say? Find out soon!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	8. The knife

Chapter 8 to a LOST Love

Shannon warningly asked, "Boone…what is she talking about?"

Boone shook his head vigorously. "Honestly! I have no idea! She's gone nuts!"

"Hey!" Sayid snapped. "Watch it, Boone…" He turned his attentions to the still struggling Alexandra and wrapped her in a fierce embrace, hoping that would calm her. Unfortunately, it didn't work, and she pushed herself out of Sayid's embrace. Sayid let her go and watched her, waiting to see what she would do.

Practically yelling, Alexandra said, "Tell them what you did out there. What you did to me…" Boone still didn't answer, only kept shaking his head in denial.

Turning to the rest of the group, crying now, she said, "He hurt me. I remember now…I didn't at first…but now I do. _He_ did this to me, he and the others…"

"What others?" Locke asked.

"I don't know…they all kept their faces hidden. I saw _his_ though…" she pointed directly at Boone. "I pleaded and begged for his help, but he wouldn't help…wouldn't help…They cut me many times, even when I was screaming for them to stop. They took me to this place with many knives. Knives everywhere…on the ceiling, in the walls, everywhere…"

Immediately, Kate and Sawyer looked at each other at the mention of the shack. Jack saw that look and asked, "Guys? Do you know anything about this?"

"Yeah," Sawyer said, "we saw it. When we split up into those search groups, our group found that shack. She ain't lying, there really is a bunch o' knives everywhere; and from the looks of it, it'd been in use recently, too." He looked at Kate again, his expression softening. "We don't know whose it was, but a couple of those knives were in use…one of 'em still had blood on it."

Sauntering over to Boone, Sawyer casually said, "I think our friend Boone picked up that knife. Wanna show it to Jack, Boone?"

If looks could kill, Sawyer would have been lying on the sand instantly. Pulling the knife out of his back pocket (dangerous place to have a knife…) Boone handed it to him, handle first. Jack was a little freaked by the size of this knife, but he took it anyways.

Suddenly, Alexandra gave a slight scream at the sight of the knife. "That's it! That's it!" Tears were now coming profusely down her face; Shannon felt like she was going to be sick, and Charlie looked away from it. Sayid slowly pulled Alexandra against him, softly whispering to her. He was shocked by how badly she was shaking.

Giving another gasping sob, Alex suddenly pushed herself away from Sayid and started sprinting down the beach away from the group.

_Shit!_ thought Sayid. "Alex! Wait!" Sayid cried out. He ran after her down the beach. He had to run very fast, but she was still far ahead of him.

_She's so fast! Damn…_this kept running through Sayid's head as he kept calling for her to stop. His breath was coming fast now as he kept running and running down the beach.

Finally, he saw her slow down and collapse in the sand, sobbing. Slowing down to a brisk walk, Sayid caught up with her and he sank down to his knees beside her. Touching her shoulders gently, she turned to him and buried her face in his chest, sobbing her tortured heart out.

**More soon! Sorry about the delay I was just so incredibly busy!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	9. Peroxide

Chapter 9 to a LOST Love

Jack watched Sayid take off after Alex, and then turned his attentions back to that knife. The mere size of it was enough to scare him. It was like a carving knife for meat…_we really aren't alone,_ Jack thought.

"Why would someone use that thing…for things other than hunting?" Charlie asked quietly.

Jack simply shook his head. Turning to Kate, he said, "I need you to show me where that place is. We need to get those knives so that the others can't use them against one of us again." Kate looked away from Jack, remembering the shack…

"I'll show you where it is, doc. We'll go tomorrow," Sawyer said, coming to Kate's rescue.

Jack said huffily, "I didn't ask _you_, Sawyer, I asked Kate."

"No, he knows where it is," Kate responded quickly. "He can show you. I…I don't want to go back there again," she said. Looking at Jack, she pleaded, "Please, Jack…don't make me go back there."

After a pause, he said, "Alright, Sawyer can show me tomorrow. We need to bring our packs and things to get those knives out. Michael, Hurley, Charlie…will you come with us? We need all the packs we can get."

The men nodded in agreement. "Okay, we leave first thing tomorrow morning," Jack said. "Hey…where did Boone and Locke go?" Everyone looked around for the two, but no one had even seen them leave.

**Sayid and Alex…**

Rocking Alexandra back and forth, Sayid simply held her there while she cried. He kept hushing her and whispering "It's okay…it's okay…" He felt like breaking down, too, but he knew he had to be strong…for her. Suddenly, he felt something wet on his hands…_water? Sweat?_ He took his right hand away and looked at it….it was blood. He looked to see where it had come from and noticed that the back of Alex's shirt was ripped in many places and her wounds had broken open again. Blood was now soaking the back of her shirt, and still she cried.

Pulling herself upright suddenly, she asked Sayid, tears streaming down her face, "Why…why would someone do that? I didn't do anything wrong…I didn't do anything…wrong…" Sayid simply shook his head, his eyes filled with sadness. Seeing the blood on his hand again, he knew they had to get those wounds cleaned up.

"Come, we must get your injuries tended to. Let's go to the caves and find Jack's medicine bag." Sayid gently helped Alex up and together they walked back to the caves.

**At the caves…**

Sayid began rummaging around the other survivors' things to find Jack's bag. _Where is that damn bag? Why does he always have to hide it? _Sayid was beginning to get frustrated, when suddenly Alex gently said, "Sayid…"

He turned to look at her and saw that she had found the medicine bag. Breathing a sigh of relief, he asked, "Where did you find it?"

She pointed to a pile of clothes. "Underneath all of Jack's shirts. I wonder why he hides it…" she said. Sayid shrugged and put the bag down on the ground.

Opening it and shifting things around, he finally found some peroxide. When he looked up, Alexandra had turned her back to him and was peeling off her shirt carefully. She winced when it passed over a few of the nastier wounds, but she managed to get it over her head. She was wearing a black bra underneath that tattered shirt…looking down quickly, Sayid pretended to look around in the bag again for a bit.

When he looked up again, he saw that she was walking over to the pile of rocks that surrounded the fresh water pool. She sat down and saw him staring at her. She smiled sadly and then turned away to look at the pool.

Sayid made his way to the rocks, his heart beating a little faster now. Carefully, gently, he swept her hair over her shoulder and his touch lingered there for a few moments. Alex looked at where his hand was, and then slowly dropped her head again, not saying anything. Sayid unscrewed the peroxide bottle and then looked around for something to use as a cloth. As if reading his mind, Alex silently produced her shirt and gave it to him. He ripped the front part of it where there was no blood into strips and wet one of them with the peroxide.

As soon as he touched her open wound with the peroxide, she instantly hissed in pain and flinched away from it. Goosebumps instantly covered her arms from the coldness of the peroxide and the pain. "I know…I know it hurts," Sayid gently crooned to her. "This must be done for them to heal quickly."

Slowly, she brought her back towards him again and he resumed patting her injuries with the cloth. He felt like he was going to be sick…he hadn't seen wounds like these since he was first stationed at the prison hospital in Iraq. He had seen many an arm or leg blown off, or an eye completely gone, or severe burns…but only once had he seen marks like these.

**FLASHBACK**

Sayid was in the Iraqi prison hospital, making his rounds to different prisoners and soldiers alike. He comforted the prisoner who was dying from malaria, a man of about 20 years old, much like himself. He then moved on to give a soldier with a missing arm some water.

After he was done in one room, he walked down the hallway, past a few doctors, nurses, and guards, and suddenly saw a room he hadn't entered before. He had only been on the job for a month, and he had yet to see this room. Peeking in, he saw only a woman lying on her stomach on the hospital bed, the back of her shirt ripped open.

He walked in to take a closer look at her back and saw that she had huge slashes crisscrossing across it. They were bleeding profusely and she was starting to soak the bed sheets with her blood. No doctor had seen her, as she had no dressings or stitches. He also saw that her feet were handcuffed to the bed posts. Moving to her left shoulder, away from the door, he gently shook her awake. Her eyes fluttered open and she moaned from the pain.

In their native tongue, he asked her, "How long have you been here? Has a doctor seen you yet?"

She shook her head. "No," she muttered thickly. "I have been here for a few hours, I think. After my…punishment…the soldiers dragged me here and dropped me on the bed. I fell asleep shortly after."

_So she is a prisoner here,_ Sayid thought. _I wonder what she did to deserve this…collaborated perhaps? Gave information away? Who knows…_

"I will be right back," he said to her. She nodded and closed her eyes again.

He briskly walked out of the room, his temper rising. He found a doctor that he knew who worked there and abruptly asked, "Why has no one seen that woman in that room over there? She has very serious wounds and no one has attended to her!"

"I do not know, Sayid. You can help her, you are qualified. I am very busy right now," said the doctor. "What kind of wounds does she have?"

"Um…whip marks, I believe. Some might need stitches, they are so deep. She is a prisoner here and has just been tortured for information, I think."

The doctor nodded. "Not uncommon here, unfortunately; put peroxide on a few cloths and clean them. Bind it with the long bandages in the closet."

Sayid nodded and quickly found what he needed. The "closet" was nothing more than a cabinet with a few bottles and bandage rolls in there, much like the army field medical closets.

Walking back to the room, he shook the woman awake again and told her that he was going to clean her back. Nodding again, she closed her eyes and braced herself for any pain. When the first drop of peroxide touched her back, she instantly cried out. Sayid flinched, too, not meaning to. He continued to clean her back and as he did, he looked at her face again.

She was lovely and couldn't have been more than 25 years old. A beauty like her in a prison was unthinkable. Sayid gently asked, "May I ask for your name?"

"Nadia," she replied quietly.

**Gasp! We know her! Unfortunately we know what happens to her too……ah well, I shall update soon! I promise! I just HAD to put in a flashback cuz they always do it on the show anyways. Did you like or shall I never do that again?**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	10. The miracle worker

Chapter 10 to a LOST Love

"Sayid?"

Alex's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "Yes?" he asked.

"Sorry, you just stopped cleaning for a second and I didn't know if you were okay," Alex replied.

Sayid shook his head to clear his thoughts. "No, I'm alright. I'm sorry, I was just thinking…"

They fell back into their silences, enjoying each other's company again. Gently, Sayid touched Alex's bra strap and said, "I need to undo this…to get the wounds underneath it." He waited apprehensively, afraid she might say no….

Alexandra looked to her right shoulder, not really looking at him, but she nodded her consent anyways. Sayid carefully undid the strap so as not to hurt her, and slid it away from her back. His fingers gently touched her back and slid up to her shoulders. A shiver of pleasure coursed through Alex's insides at his touch. He softly pushed the shoulder straps away from her shoulders and the bra fell off. She quickly covered up by crossing her arms over herself.

Sayid bent down to look in Jack's bag again and found a long roll of bandages. He held the end of it on her back gently, and he gave her the roll to wrap around her front. He wanted so badly to touch her again, but he didn't want to scare her. So she wrapped it in front and he wound it in the back. Then, when the roll ended, he tucked the end into another strap securely and they were finished.

Sayid had gotten very close to Alexandra while they were doing this, but she wanted him all the more. Alex then turned to him and smiled slightly. He smiled gently back.

"Thank you," she whispered. Sayid nodded and suddenly, Alex leaned over and kissed him. Softly, hesitantly…he kissed back only as much as she would give. Then she kissed him a little more intently and his hand slid up to the side of her neck and into her hair. Pleasure coursed through Alexandra like an electrical current.

"Well, well, well…" Suddenly, the couple broke away from each other and stared out of the entrance to the cave. There stood Sawyer, watching them and grinning. "Looks like you should play doctor more often, Ali."

"What do you want, Sawyer?" Sayid asked with a sigh. He started to gather up the peroxide and shirt strips and put them back in Jack's bag. Alexandra turned away from Sawyer and tried to look for another shirt. Instantly, she spotted one of Kate's and put it on.

Sawyer just watched Alex and he said innocently-bordering-on-sarcastically, "Oh, nothin', just wanted to tell you that we're having a meeting down on the beach. Something about those knives..." Sayid saw Alex flinched slightly, but her expression didn't change. With that, Sawyer sauntered off.

Turning to look at Alex, Sayid saw thatshe had donned one of Kate's sleeveless shirts, and he could see their bandaging job through it. She didn't seem to care right then.

Alex looked to where Sawyer had been standing a moment ago, and she said, "How much do you think he saw?" She looked at Sayid slightly questioningly, but more or less nonchalantly.

Shaking his head, he said, "I don't know. You can never tell with Sawyer what he is thinking. Always a mystery with him…" Alex nodded in agreement. She turned toward him and took both of his hands in hers. Looking up in his face, smiling, she said, "Thank you, miracle-worker."

Then they kissed.

**AWWW! SO CUTE! I shall update soon, I promise!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	11. Just chillin'

Chapter 11 to a LOST Love

Alex and Sayid walked down to the beach, hand in hand. They didn't say anything; nothing needed to be said. Enjoying each other's presence was enough. When they got to the beach, the sun was starting to set. They both saw everyone else sitting around a huge fire and made their way toward them.

"Hey guys. What's going on?" Alex asked.

Shannon looked up at them and stood up. She touched Alex's shoulder in a friendly manner. "Well, it was actually Hurley's and Charlie's idea…but we thought that we could just have one night to chill together," she said.

Alexandra's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but she smiled a happy-but-sort-of-confused look. She looked at Charlie and saw that he was carrying a large, black, oddly-shaped case.

"Charlie? Is that what I think it is?" Sayid asked.

Charlie gave this enormous grin and said proudly, "Yup! It washed up onshore today…"

"Is it yours?" asked Alex. "I didn't know you were traveling with all of your music stuff…was it for a concert?"

Charlie shook his head. "No, unfortunately it's not mine. Did you guys happen to see the band FUJI FREAKS on the plane?"

People looked at each other embarrassed. "Uh…" was all they could say. Apparently, they didn't know anything about the FUJI FREAKS at all. "Sorry Charlie, I guess that's a no," Michael said.

"A couple of guys, pale skin, one of 'em had huge blacks spikes in his hair, another one had a huge tattoo across his left cheek…recalling any of this?" Charlie asked hopefully.

"Oh, yeah!" Shannon and Kate both cried simultaneously. "I remember them! They were like 2 rows behind me, I think," Kate said. "I could hear 'em talking sometimes…French? South Africans? They had really thick accents."

"Yea, they are from somewhere in South Africa. Really good music…they're kinda like rock and gothic mixed together," Charlie said. "Anyways, I was walking on the beach with Hurley today and we saw a whole bunch of stuff washed up onshore. Sure enough, it's the band's music stuff. This is Fuji's actual electric guitar, the one that he actually touched…" Charlie proceeded to open the case and pulled out a fabulous, shiny electric guitar. It was black with orange and red flames painted on it and had a couple of messed up skulls and bleeding hearts on it. It even said FUJI FREAKS on the handle under the strings.

"Yea, well, we found some other stuff, too," Hurley chimed in. "We found some drum cases, complete with drum sticks, and this is weird…a banjo."

Charlie nodded. "The banjo was one of the FREAK's. Name was1 FREAK. He started the banjo as a joke, but then he got really good at it and performed with it a couple times. None of the FREAKS survived the crash…"

An awkward silence descended on the group. Alex bit her lip, Sayid looked at the sky, Shannon looked at Kate then down at her feet, and Michael put an arm around Walt.

"Anyways, we thought that we'd sing and play a couple things. So, who wants to go first? I know quite a lot of songs, actually," Charlie said proudly.

"Hey, Jack! Didn't you say you knew a couple of songs? What was it…like Top Gun or something?" Alex asked.

Jack looked down, embarrassed. He nudged the sand back and forth with his foot. "Well, uh…"

"Come on, Jack! Sing it!" Kate pleaded.

"Yea, come on, doc. Let's see what you're made of," Sawyer said with a smirk.

"Alright, alright," Jack said finally. Getting up and dusting off his pants, he walked over to Hurley and Charlie, who had set up a couple of the drums in front of Hurley. He said quietly to the two of them, "Hey, do you guys know the song Danger Zone? It's in the movie Top Gun…I think it's by Kenny Logger or Loggins or something like that."

Charlie and Hurley both nodded. "It's the song at the beginning of the movie, right? When all the fighter planes are taking off?" Hurley asked.

Jack nodded and when he signaled to Charlie and Hurley, they started playing. A rock song by the start of it, people guessed. It had a great tune to it, that guitar. It did the song justice, for those in the group who had seen the movie.

Jack started singing softly:

"Revvin' up your engine

Listen to her howlin' roar.

Metal under tension

Beggin' you to touch and go."

Hurley then proceeded to get louder on the drums and Jack sang louder:

"Highway to the Danger Zone

Ride into the Danger Zone."

(I won't write out the whole song because I'll do that later.)

Everyone was utterly amazed at Jack's singing ability. Who'd of thought, Jack, singing rock songs? He was actually quite good and he even could do the long, held out, rocker notes. When he finished, Charlie and Hurley continued for a bit, then the song ended. Everyone clapped enthusiastically; Kate even jumped up and whistled for him. Even Sawyer was struck silent; all he could do was clap for him. When Jack sat back down, Alex sat down next to him and said, "I am impressed, my friend, I am _im_pressed."

People looked around at each other to see who would be next. No one offered to go…suddenly, Sawyer stood up and walked over to Charlie and Hurley. He conversed with them for two seconds before turning to the rest of the crowd. "Does any one here know how to play this here banjo?"

Surprisingly, Locke motioned with his hand for Sawyer to give him the banjo. "What are you wanting to sing?" he asked Sawyer.

"You know the song What Was I Thinkin'? It's by a friend of mine, Dierks Bentley…" Sawyer asked, afraid Locke wouldn't know the song.

"You _know_ Dierks Bentley?" Locke asked shocked. "I used to listen to him all the time…big country star," he said to the group.

"So hit it!" Sawyer said excitedly.

Locke struck up his banjo and Hurley caught the beat with his drums. These guys were really good! Sawyer started singing the song:

"Becky was a beauty from south Alabama,

Her daddy had a heart like a nine-pound hammer.

Think he even did a little time in the slammer,

What was I thinkin'?

She snuck out one night

And met me by the front gate

Her daddy came out, waving that twelve-gauge.

We tore outta the drive

He peppered my tailgate.

What was I thinkin'?

Oh, I knew there'd be hell to pay,

But that crossed my mind a little too late!

"Cause I was thinkin' bout a little white tank top

Sittin' right there in the middle by me.

I was thinkin' bout a long kiss, man,

Just gotta get goin' where the night might lead.

I know what I was feelin'

But _what_ was I thinkin'?

What was I thinkin'?"

As he sang that chorus, he was staring right at Kate, as if to make a point. She was wearing a white tank top…that's what made him think of the song. Everyone smirked to each other; they knew what was on his mind. Kate just stared right back, a smile creeping on her face.

"By the county line

The cops were nippin' on our heels.

Pulled off the road and kicked it in four wheel

Shut off the lights and tore through a corn field.

What was I thinkin'?

Out the other side,

She was hollerin' "Faster!"

Took a dirt road, had the radio blastin'

Hit the honkey tonk for a little close-dancin'

What was I thinkin'?

Oh, I knew there'd be hell to pay,

But that crossed my mind a little too…late!

Again, he stared straight ahead at Kate and sang the song as if just to her…

"Cause I was thinkin' bout a little white tank top

Sittin' right there in the middle by me.

I was thinkin' bout a long kiss, man,

Just gotta get goin' where the night might lead.

I know what I was feelin'

But _what_ was I thinkin'?

Here, Locke took over for a bit with his banjo and strummed a few bars of music.

"When a mountain of a man with a Born To Kill tattoo

Tried to cut in, I knocked out his front tooth.

At that, he shifted his gaze menacingly to Jack, as if to say _I'll knock out your front tooth if you get in my way of her. _

He continued…

"We ran outside, hood-slidin' like whoa, dude.

What was I thinkin'?

I finally got her home at a half past two

Her daddy's in a lawn chair sittin' on the driveway.

Put it in park as he started my way,

What was I thinkin'?

Oh, what was I thinkin'?

Oh, what was I thinkin'?

Then she gave me a "come-and-get-me" grin,

And like a bullet we were gone again!

He sang the chorus again, and after he was done, he said, "I know what I was feelin'…but _what_ was I thinkin'? Guess I was thinkin' bout that tank top, huh?" He gave Kate a very sultry, sexy look like he wanted to take that tank top off of her. She stuck out her tongue at him and he laughed.

Locke was still strumming on the banjo and he finally stopped after Sawyer had finished laughing. The group clapped and whistled very loudly. He was great! He sat back down in the sand in his spot and looked at Kate again. She smirked and raised her eyebrows suggestively (jokingly, of course) at him.

**Did you all like? I think there's one more song I'd like to put in the next chapter. I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, I was in Indonesia for 2 weeks. I'll have the new chapter up soon! The song Jack sang is "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins and the song that Sawyer sang is "What Was I Thinkin' " by Dierks Bentley. **

**A Bleeding Rose**


	12. Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy

Chapter 12 to a LOST Love

The group laughed at Kate and Sawyer's expense. Their flirting was actually quite amusing…Sawyer's hinting song, Kate sticking out her tongue childishly. It was funny, but at the same time sweet.

"Hey, Sawyer!" a strange voice shouted.

Sawyer looked away from Kate to see a tall kid standing up with his hands on his hips. He had a Yankee's cap on and his pants were sagging…wait a minute…that was Alex! She was dressed like a boy! "Uh…what?" Sawyer asked, thoroughly confused.

"You and me…let's go! Come on, get up here. Hey Charlie, you know the song Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy? Big and Rich's song?" She was making her voice deeper to sound like a boy as she said this.

"Um…I think so…maybe?" Charlie answered.

Sawyer gave a huge grin; it was one of his favorite songs. He thought it reminded him of himself, a southern cowboy coming to the big city…it made him laugh out loud. "What's with the getup?" he asked Alex.

"Dunno," she shrugged. "I just thought it would be funny. People need to laugh, and what better way to make 'em do it than by making a fool of yourself," she said. "Is there something I need to fix?" She checked herself over to make sure she looked the part.

Sawyer smiled. "Nope, you look fine." He was in a fine mood tonight because of his singing and Kate's pleased reaction.

They stood next to each other and faced the group. They made eye contact and began…

"DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DE-DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DAA-DAAAAA  
DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DE-DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DAA-DAA-DAA-DAA-DAAAA!" Charlie struck up the guitar and played for a couple bars. Some of the people in the group had heard the song before, like Shannon and Locke. Shannon whooped and Kate whistled appreciatively.

"Well, I walk into the room  
Passin' out hundred dollar bills  
And it kills and it thrills like the horns on my Silverado grill.  
And I buy the bar a double round of crown  
And everybody's getting' down  
An' this town ain't never gonna be the same."

'Cause I saddle up my horse  
And I ride into the city.  
I make a lot of noise  
Cause the girls  
They are so pretty."

Alex looked straight at Shannon and made the "woman's curves" motions with her hands as she sang. Shannon laughed. And Sawyer looked straight at Kate when he said the girls were pretty. She blushed slightly.

"Ridin' up and down Broadway  
On my old stud Leroy  
And the girls say  
Save a horse, ride a cowboy.  
Everybody says  
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy!"

Well I don't give a dang about nothin'  
I'm singin' and Bling- Blingin'  
While the girls are drinkin'  
Long necks down!  
And I wouldn't trade ol' Leroy  
Or my Chevrolet for your Escalade  
Or your freak parade  
I'm the only John Wayne left in this town!

And I saddle up my horse  
And I ride into the city  
I make a lot of noise  
Cause the girls  
They are so pretty  
Ridin' up and down Broadway  
On my old stud Leroy  
And the girls say  
Save a horse, ride a cowboy.  
Everybody says  
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy.

Charlie took over with his guitar and then all of a sudden, Locke cut in with the banjo…except he had found a stick and some smooth palm leaves and fashioned a violin bow. That guy could make damn near anything if you asked him to…

Alex whipped off her hat and shook out her long blonde hair. She was a girl again this time. She walked very seductively toward Sawyer. Sawyer, not expecting it, went along with it smoothly anyways…he spoke:

"I'm a thorough-bred  
That's what she said  
In the back of my truck bed  
As I was gettin' buzzed on suds  
Out on some back country road."

At that, Alex started doing body rolls against Sawyer's side like she was his girlfriend or something. 'Sept she just looked like she was having fun, not like a slut.

"We where flyin' high  
Fine as wine, havin' ourselves a big and rich time  
And I was going, just about as far as she'd let me go."

Sawyer's hands touched her shoulders and snaked down her body toward her pants, very smoothly. Before he reached her thighs, she glanced, mock horrified, at their audience and pushed him off. He fell on his butt in the sand, but still kept talking. The audience laughed, especially Jack, Michael, and Kate. Alex went back over and pulled her hair up into her hat, becoming a boy again. A small thought entered Sayid's head, _She's so beautiful._

Sawyer talked again and this time Alex joined in…

"But her evaluation  
Of my cowboy reputation  
Had me beggin' for salvation  
All night long!  
So I took her out giggin' frogs  
Introduced her to my old bird dog  
Sang her every Willie Nelson song I could think of  
And we made love!

And I saddle up my horse  
And I ride into the city  
I make a lot of noise  
Cause the girls  
They are so pretty  
Ridin' up and down Broadway  
On my old stud Leroy  
And the girls say  
Save a horse, ride a cowboy.  
Everybody says  
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy

What? What?  
Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy  
Everybody says  
Save a Horse Ride a cowboy."

With that final note, the song ended. The audience whistled and cheered very enthusiastically, more so than the other two songs. Alex laughed and bowed deeply, causing her Yankee's hat to drop to the sand. She flung her head up and her blonde hair swooshed out around her face. She was still laughing. Sawyer bowed his head only, smiling broadly, and went back to his spot.

Alex stood up there still and scanned the group. "So, any more songs? Anyone? No? Well then, I officially declare this entertainment over." Everyone stood up, talking amongst each other about the songs and stuff. Sayid approached Alex and said smiling, "That was entertaining."

She grinned back. "Yea, it was. Who knew that Sawyer and Jack could sing?" She and Sayid laughed.

"Well, goodnight, Sayid," Alex said softly. "See you tomorrow." Sayid's face fell a little at that, and Alex saw it but said nothing. "Good night, Alex," Sayid replied. With that, they both turned off to head in their separate sleeping areas.

Alex was walking alone in the forest when she heard a crunch behind her. Whipping around, she saw that Boone had followed her. "Hey, Boone, don't scare me like that!" Alex said, relieved it was him. "God, you almost gave me a heart attack."

Boone was carrying a water bottle that had a little water left. "Jack said that the "singers" might need some water and he told me to come find you. So, here ya go," he said, holding out the bottle. She took it and drank the rest of it, glad for the refreshment.

"Thanks for that. Well, good night, Boone," Alex stated and continued to head back to her sleeping spot.

"Goodnight, Alex," Boone replied. He stood there as she walked to her sleeping spot. He had a funny look on his face…that kind where he knows something and is trying not to reveal it. You could see it in his eyes…the cold, hard stare, yet bursting with secrets.

Alex reached her sleeping spot and fell down upon it, exhausted from her night of fun. As she closed her eyes, all she could think about was Sayid. He was kind, thoughtful, handsome…everything she could ask for. She thought about their kiss and smiled to herself. She fell into a deep sleep.

She didn't sleep at all. Nightmares plagued her all night. _Ferocious ones…wild beasts clawing at her clothes, blood streaming everywhere, someone coughing horrendously in the back round all the time, phantom voices floating all around her, then finally pitch darkness. Yet in the darkness, she could still hear voices calling out to her, telling her to come to them…she resisted, not willing to go, and yet she could feel herself moving toward the voices. Darkness had enveloped her like a huge thick blanket and it wouldn't let go. The voices got louder and louder, some were incoherent, others said things to her, "Come to ussss…come to usss…darknesssss…blindnesssss…darknessss…" "No!" she tried to cry out, but her voice wouldn't work. The voices laughed at her menacingly…suddenly a piercing white light exploded in front of her and she fell back with a soundless cry. She saw a vision…Sayid…he was bending over someone lying down…she couldn't see the face. Suddenly, he got up and turned to face her. She tried to sound out his name, relieved he could see her, when he suddenly said, "Why…why did you kill her? WHY!" She looked down at the body and saw herself! She was an awful ashen grey color with blood trickling out of her mouth. Her eyes were wide open, as if in fear; they had no irises in them save for a pearl white color. Her whole eyes were pearl white…Suddenly, Sayid lunged at her, baring huge fangs…She screamed loud enough to shake the devil, her voice finally returning to her._

She shrieked out loud and finally woke up from the nightmare. She was sweating profusely and realized that she had bitten her tongue in her sleep. She tasted blood in her mouth and spit it out. Sitting upright, she slowly came to realize that it was beginning to be morning. Letting her breath come out in half sobs, she slowly lay back down and tried to calm herself. "Why…why do these nightmares come to me?" she asked quietly to herself, not expecting anyone to answer. She lay there for a while, trying to calm her breathing down.

Little did she know that someone was watching her. In the forest, someone stood there, watching…always watching…

**The song is Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy, by Big and Rich.More to come soon, I promise!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	13. She can't see, Jack

Chapter 13 to a LOST Love

Alex got up and made her way to the main camp. On her way there, she smelled something…something was cooking. _Hmm, wonder what it is?_ She thought. She was doing everything she could to push that horrible dream out of her head. Even talking to herself in her head was helping a little. She came out of the forest finally and saw Sayid sitting down cooking something.

She put on a false grin and said, "Hey," to Sayid. He looked up and smiled back. "How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Eh, not so good," she said, dropping the smile. She sat down next to him and sighed. "I had another nightmare last night again. I don't know why these dreams keep coming to me…I mean the one about you leading me to the cave, and now this one. It just doesn't make any sense. This one was even worse though…"

He looked inquisitive. "Want to tell me about this one?"

She gazed at him for a moment before beginning. "Well, at first it was all scattered images. I kept seeing blood everywhere, too…And I remember someone kept making hacking noises, like coughing, all the time. Then finally everything went pitch black, I couldn't see a thing." Here she paused.

Sayid looked at her questioningly for her to continue. "I heard voices, inside my head…they kept saying come to us, darkness, blindness, come to us…it really scared me. I didn't want to go to them, but I felt myself moving toward them slowly. The more I resisted, the closer I got to them. Then this really bright light shone in my face…and I saw…I saw you, Sayid."

At this, Sayid's eyebrows raised slightly. "I saw you…you were bending over someone lying on the ground. You stood up…looked at me…and asked, "Why? Why did you kill her? Why?" I tried to say something but I couldn't. Then I saw the body…it was…it was…" She paused, swallowing hard.

Sayid tilted his head to look into her eyes better. "It was…?" He prompted.

Alex sighed. "It was me. I was lying on Jack's "hospital bed" in the cave and I looked awful. My skin was grey, my eyes were colorless, I had blood trickling out of the corner of my mouth…it was so awful. Then you lunged at me, baring these huge fangs, and I screamed. Then I woke up."

They both didn't say anything for a moment, when suddenly Alex said, frustrated, "Why do these dreams keep coming to _me_? What did I do to deserve them? And the weird thing is…they keep coming true. Like the one with the cave…oh God, I hope this one doesn't come true."

Sayid put a hand comfortingly on her arm. "Don't worry, I'm sure it won't," he said. Alex gave a weak smile in return.

"Hey, Alex!"

Alex looked to her right to find Claire standing a ways away. "Yea?" she called back.

"Will you help me for just a moment? I need some help with this," Claire responded.

"Okay, I'm coming." Alex stood up and all of a sudden, her vision swam. She got really dizzy and took a step backwards to keep herself from falling. She tried to blink away the dizziness and finally it cleared. She saw Claire looking confused and looked down to see Sayid also confused.

"Woah, stood up too fast, I guess," Alex said, trying to come up with a logical excuse. Sayid and Claire both nodded, relieved it was nothing bad. Alex walked over to help Claire, thinking no more of the incident. Sayid went back to cooking breakfast, an old recipe of his mother's…coconut insides, bananas, and some really hot spices that he had been saving for the trip home. Now was just a good time to use them since he didn't know when he would use them next.

**Later on…**

Midday came around, hot as usual, and not a cloud in sight. The ocean was relatively calm and the people were getting sluggish. It was a nice day but way too hot for them to do much except sit around.

Alex had gone for a walk in the forest to try and escape the heat and the boredom that came with it. She'd been gone for, oh, about two and half hours, but finding nothing to do in the forest, she decided to head back to the beach. Might be safer there…the forest kinda creeped her out sometimes.

A really weird thing began to happen…as she got closer to the beach, her sight started going all fuzzy again. Stopping to clear her vision, once cleared, she kept going. Then it happened again and she got dizzy; this time it was harder to clear her sight than before. But it remained pretty clear right up until the forest started blending into the sand, then she was hit by a huge wave of dizziness that caused her to crash into a tree and clutch it for dear life. She was gonna be sick, the dizziness was so powerful…

She sat down and put her back against the tree, and with horror, she realized the world was growing darker and darker. Shaking her head and putting her hands to her temples, she tried to force the darkness to go away. It wouldn't and it only kept on coming, slowly but surely. Alex started to freak out and breathe hard with fear. A terrible pain shot through her head without warning and like a candle being snuffed, she was plunged into complete and utter darkness. Blinking her eyes rapidly, shaking her head, squeezing her temples…nothing would make the blackness go away! She couldn't see anything at all! What was happening to her? Why was she blind all of a sudden? She was fine yesterday!

Tentatively, her voiced laced with fear, she called out, "Help…help me…somebody…anybody! Help! Help me, please! HELP!" She waited for a few seconds before realizing she needed to move in the general direction of camp. Without knowing it, Alex had veered off of her course to the main camp and gone a distance away from it. Feeling around wildly with her hands, Alex crawled on her knees to look for something to hold on to. She only found trees and sand; no people, no plane metal, nothing. Alex was freaking out at this time, with good reason.

**At the camp…**

Alex hadn't been back for a while and Sayid was a little worried. After what happened to her last time…he shuddered inwardly, telling himself not to think about that. Sayid walked around asking people if they had seen her. All he got from Sawyer was, "No, Ali, I haven't seen her. Your girlfriend ain't here, much as I'd like her to be," he said in that rude manner we all know. Sayid left without saying anymore to Sawyer; Sawyer simply infuriated him.

He went to Charlie and Claire with Marie on the beach. He asked them if they had seen Alex and neither of them had. Sayid sat down next to Charlie on the sand and stared out at the ocean. "I'm sure she's fine, she's alright," Sayid said aloud. Charlie grinned. "That's the ticket, Sayid. She's a strong girl, she can take care of herself," he said. Sayid nodded at him and stared back out at the sea.

"Hey, do you guys hear that?" Claire suddenly asked. Charlie looked at her, puzzled. "Hear what?" Sayid asked, still staring at the ocean.

"See, there it is again! Listen!" Claire said urgently.

Sayid half turned his gaze from the ocean and listened. He could hear the sea crashing on shore, the wind in the palm trees, and…a small voice calling out something. He could barely hear it at all.

"Where's it coming from, like what direction?" Sayid asked the two.

"I think that way," Claire pointed with her finger along the direction of the tree-sand line. Sayid stood up, brushed off his pants, and started walking toward that line and following it. He walked a short ways, calling out, "Hey! Over here!" to the anonymous voice.

The voice shouted back, "Help me! Someone help me please!" Sayid quickened his walking pace a little bit. He came around a corner and saw Alex in the distance. She was walking funny…she was feeling around wildly with her hands and crashing into trees. She would clutch onto them…she looked really scared. "Somebody please! Help me!" Alex cried out. Sayid's eyes grew huge and he sprinted toward her, yelling, "Alex! Alex, I'm here! Alex!"

Alex stopped calling out and listened. "Help me! Please, whoever you are! Help me! I can't see! I can't see anything," she suddenly yelled. She tried to take a step in Sayid's general direction, and she stumbled and fell. She picked herself up and sat on her knees.

Sayid finally reached her, sank down to a crouch and grabbed her shoulders. She flinched mightily when he touched her, but then she slowly felt her hands along his hands and traveled slowly up to touch his face. "Alex, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Sayid? Sayid, is that you?" she asked, pretty sure it was him.

"Yes, yes, it's me. What happened?" Sayid asked impatiently.

"Sayid, I…I can't see. I can't see at all!"

"What!" Sayid asked, panicked. "Oh God, Alex…look at me," he grabbed her face with both hands and turned her face toward his. He stared into her eyes and saw her pupils were huge, but they wouldn't focus on anything. They kept darting around wildly, searching...

"Sayid, I can't see you…I can't see anything at all. Oh God, Sayid, help me," Alex begged.

"Look at the sun! Look at anything, something!" Sayid said panicked. He turned her face toward the sun. Her eyes didn't even squint as she stared right at it.

"I can feel it, but I can't see it at all. I can't see anything. Oh God, help me, help me…" Alex said softly.

"Okay, come on, we're going to get you to Jack," Sayid said. And with that, he helped her stand up and then picked her up. She was so light…Sayid walked very quickly toward the caves, avoiding Charlie and Claire so they wouldn't question him or her. Alex wrapped her arms around Sayid's neck and rested her cheek against his chest. He was so warm...he made her feel safe.

Suddenly, Alex noticed a temperature change. "Jack! Jack!" Sayid said loudly.

Alex heard a voice in the dark say, "What is it, Sayid? I'm right here."

"It's Alex. She…she can't…she can't see, Jack," Sayid finally got out.

**More to come, I promise!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	14. Can't stop fate

Chapter 14 to a LOST Love

"Wait, wait, wait…what do you mean "she can't see"?" Jack's voice asked. He stepped out from behind a corner, holding his razor in his hand. Apparently he was in the middle of a shave so he was only half done.

"Literally, Jack, she can't see anything. Come look," Sayid explained impatiently. Turning his glanceto look at Alex, Sayid spoke gently, "Alex, I'm going to set you down now, alright?"

She nodded. Slowly, ever so slowly, Sayid let her legs slip from his arms, still holding onto her back to support her. Alex clutched onto his neck to keep from falling and for comfort. When her feet finally touched the rock floor, she eased up on his neck and let go. Crouching down, Alex felt for the ground and, finding it, she sat down heavily. She drew up her knees, put her elbows on them, ran her hands through her hair and held them there. A deep sigh escaped her…

Meanwhile, Jack had set down his razor and had found a small flashlight. "Alex, I'm gonna need you to look at me so I can check your eyes."

Alex removed her hands from her hair and stretched out them out to find him. Jack moved in her hands' way so she could find him. She felt his unshaven side of his cheek and moved it to the other side. She grinned. "You haven't finished shaving yet, Jack, just so you know."

Jack grinned and Alex felt him smile. She put her hands down and waited for Jack to begin. "Hold still, okay?" Jack asked. She nodded. He clicked the flashlight on and slowly passed it in front of her right eye. Nothing changed; her pupils were still huge and they didn't move. He moved to the left eye and same thing happened. He did it twice more and got the same thing.

Jack clicked off the flashlight and said, "I am utterly confused. Yesterday she was fine and today…not so fine. Did you hit your head or are you sick?"

Alex thought and said, "Well, this morning, I was really dizzy. I would get dizzy, stop for a second to clear it, and it would be fine. Well, I was coming back to camp, and all of a sudden, I got really dizzy again. I tried to clear my vision, but it didn't work. I got this awful pain in my head and then bam; it was like someone shoved me in a pitch black closet. I couldn't see at all. Then Sayid found me and we came back here to find you.

Jack sat back on his heels and looked thoughtful. "So you're saying you were really dizzy and then a sudden pain in your head? Did you eat or drink anything that might be poisonous last night?"

Alex shook her head. "The only thing I had was water after the singing. That's all." Her right hand started to feel around and when she touched Sayid's shoe, she clutched onto it. Sayid felt it, bent down and took her hand in his own.

"Well, I honestly don't…" Jack started to say.

"Wait…someone's here," Alex said quietly. She felt Sayid's hand and reached out for Jack to make sure it wasn't either of them. No it wasn't…she could hear the other person behind her. With her sight gone, her hearing had shot up in efficiency. She turned her head slightly to her left to listen better. She held her breath for a moment…she could hear 3 other sets of breathing. Sayid's next to her, Jack's in front of her, and someone else's behind her. The person had stopped moving and was just standing there.

Sayid started to open his mouth to tell her who it was, when Jack shot him and the person there a look and shook his head, as if to say watch-and-see-what-she-does. Sayid shut his mouth and watched her. Alex disengaged her hand from Sayid's grip and slowly stood up. Stretching her hands out, she stumbled forward to find the person.

She felt the person move in front of her outstretched hands, a kind gesture. Her hands slowly traveled up the person's strong, slightly hairy arms, to broad shoulders, to a hairy chin. She had a good guess, but just to make sure, she reached up to feel its hair. It was longer than normal for a man, so she said, "Sawyer, don't you dare scare me like that again, d'ye hear me?"

Sawyer's eyebrows went upwhen she said his name and then grinned. "Yes, ma'am, I won't," he said. Alex playfully punched him on the arm and turned around again. She felt around and said, "Sayid…" Sayid stood up to take her hands in both of his and led her back to Jack.

"I was just looking for that book of mine, sorry!" Sawyer suddenly said defensively to Jack. Jack had given him a look and turned back to Alex.

"Well, Alex, I'm just as stumped as you are. I mean, how can one day you be fine, and the next, you're blind? It's just…odd," Jack said. "It defies all medical reason that I know of and I've been doing this for a long time. Well, you're fine otherwise, but I suggest you stay here in the cave tonight, just so you don't hurt yourself, okay?"

Alex nodded and asked Sayid to stay with her. "Of course, Alex. Of course," he replied. Sawyer and Jack went outside to leave them alone.

Sawyer turned to Jack and asked, "Doc, what exactly happened to her?"

"I don't know, Sawyer. I just don't know. She just can't see anything at all and yesterday she was completely fine," Jack said, sighing. He looked at Sawyer questioningly.

"What, doc! I don't know any more about it than you do, so don't look at me like that," Sawyer said. "You know damn well I don't know what happened to her."

"Okay, okay, Sawyer calm down. I'm sorry," Jack said quickly. "I'm just utterly confused, that's all. I need to go think…," Jack said, taking his leave, not even finishing his shave. Sawyer headed down to the beach, without his book.

**In the cave…**

Alex sighed. "Ugh, Sayid, this really _sucks_." She leaned her head against Sayid's chest and sighed again.

"I know it does," Sayid said softly, stroking her hair. "I'm always here for you, you know that."

At that, Alex sat up and looked more in the general direction of his arm, not wanting to look in the direction of his face even though she couldn't see him. "But, Sayid…everything about my dream is coming true so far. I've gotten dizzy, I've gone blind, for Christ's sake…something else is going to happen to me. Worse, my dream will actually, completely come true, and I will die. How can you be there for me then, huh?" She was getting angry. "I can't stop fate, Sayid, any more than I can stop these stupid dreams. I can't stop them…can't stop them…" Alex her back to him and Sayid heard her cry.

Sayid touched her shoulders and said, "Hey, hey, easy Alex, easy. It'll be alright, ssshhh…I will always be here for you, and I won't let anything happen to you. Even if I have to tie you to a chair and never sleep to watch over you, so help me, I will do it."

At that, Alex laughed a little. She turned around and hugged him. She whispered into his ear, "Sayid, will you…"

"Stay here with you tonight? Of course," Sayid responded.

**Awww, so cute in moments of crisis. More to come soon!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	15. Breakfast club

Chapter 15 to a LOST Love

Alex woke up the next morning to feel the sun warming her face. She tried to open her eyes but she couldn't. She couldn't open them! Her heart started to race; but then she remembered yesterday's events, that she was blind, and calmed down. She felt a warm arm across her stomach and remembered that Sayid had fallen asleep next to her. Alex didn't want to move at all, but she had a sudden urge to get up and stretch. Carefully moving his arm off of her stomach, Alex got up and slowly felt her way out of the cave. She didn't have the heart to wake up Sayid; he'd been through so much with her, he needed to sleep. She tried to imagine what he looked like sleeping, and smiled at the picture.

She headed toward the sound of the ocean, because she knew there would be no trees down on the beach for her to run into. The forest would be too tricky to walk through; and besides, other people might be down there as well. A couple of times, she banged her foot into fallen branches or rocks, but for the most part, she got down there alright.

Smelling breakfast cooking, Alex suddenly felt sand underneath her feet. Pleased with herself at having found the beach, Alex heard voices to her right. She turned that way and suddenly a voice called out, "Hey, Alex! Over here!" It was Michael's voice.

Charlie, Claire, Marie, Kate, Sawyer, Jin, Michael, Walt, and Hurley were sitting around a cooking fire with Sun roasting a hare and two fish that Jin had caught earlier that morning. The meal smelled _fabulous_ to Alex, who had eaten nothing for dinner yesterday. They were eating their portion of the rabbit, fish, and fruit, talking and laughing. Claire was feeding Marie tiny bits of fruit and smiling the whole time. Sawyer had purposely sat next to Kate and she didn't seem to mind at all; in fact, she was rather enjoying his company. It was Michael who saw Alex standing around and he called out to her.

Michael turned to Charlie to hold his "plate" of food (which was actually a piece of bark) for him and he stood up. He walked over to Alex and touched her arm. "Hey, Alex, good morning! How did you sleep?" He started to lead Alex to where the group was sitting.

Alex smiled. "I slept alright, Michael, and you?"

"Eh, I've had better nights. That stupid dog, Vincent, he kept barking at the wind in the trees and coming over to lick my face. Not a pleasant evening…" Michael said exasperated. Alex laughed. Michael led her over to where the rest of the group was, and receiving good morning's from everyone, she sat down.

Alex felt someone touch her arm and she felt the hand that did. Small hand, thin fingers, a metal band around the fourth finger, and smooth skin…she heard Sun say, "Be careful. Food is hot, Alex."

"Hey, Sun," Alex asked. "Will you always wear your ring around your finger? That way I can tell it's you when you touch me, okay?"

Sun said cheerily, "Okay, I will. It won't leave my finger." Alex smiled her thanks and started to eat. A moan escaped her lips. "Oh, Sun, this fish is _excellent_. I am thoroughly impressed; thank you."

Sun smiled and sat down with her own food. Jin gave Sun a look, a disappointed look. He still hadn't gotten over her "betrayal" of him; she could speak English and never told him. It would have saved him a lot of trouble communicating with the others if he'd have known that…Sun simply returned a blank look and commenced eating.

"Hey, who all's here, by the way?" Alex suddenly asked, her mouth full of food.

They each said their names in turn, going around the circle.

"Sawyer."

"Kate."

"Hurley."

"Claire and little Marie."

"Charlie."

"Sun and Jin," Sun spoke for both as Jin didn't say anything.

"Michael."

"Walter David Myers the Third."

At that, everyone laughed. Michael smiled and ruffled his son's hair. Alex laughed and suddenly coughed. Still laughing and coughing at the same time, Alex continued to cough, thinking she had swallowed her food funny, but then realized she hadn't taken a bite yet. Michael leaned over and hit her back. "Hey, you okay?" he asked.

Alex stopped coughing and smiled. "Yup, just choked on my food, that's all," she lied. Everyone resumed eating and Charlie spoke up.

"You know, I heard you're not supposed to hit any one on the back if they're choking. Supposedly it'll just make the choking worse."

Michael said, "Well, I could have used that information a little earlier, Charlie, thank you. And besides, she's fine now, so obviously my hitting of her back worked."

"So there!" Walt piped up smartly. Everyone laughed again.

Hurley and Charlie told a few jokes for their amusement and then they all started talking about politics. I won't go into that here, as some of the group was very adamant of their political standings while others took an entirely different view. Suddenly, Alex asked, "Hey, has anybody seen Jack? Or Boone and Locke, for that matter?"

Murmurs went around the group; none of them had seen the three. "Hey, Shannon's gone, too," Walt noticed. "That's weird…she never misses breakfast."

Alex smiled. "You're right, Walt, that _is_ weird of Shannon. Locke and Boone I can understand missing breakfast, but _not Shannon!_" Walt giggled.

**Hmmm…where could those four have gotten to?**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	16. Blood

Chapter 16 to a LOST Love

Alex heard a crashing in the brush somewhere behind her and to her right. She turned her head to hear better and knew it was a person coming behind her. Thank God for this new-and-improved hearing of hers, otherwise she'd be in serious trouble.

"Hey _Jack_," Kate said pointedly for Alex. "What's up? God, you look awful."

"Thanks, Kate, nice to see you too," Jack said sarcastically. Jack looked thoroughly exhausted, like he hadn't slept all night. He still hadn't finished his shave from yesterday so he had half of a beard coming on and he had dark circles under his eyes. He'd been thinking hard, Kate could tell.

"Hey Jack, you finish your shave yesterday?" Alex asked.

Jack reached up and rubbed his hand under his chin. "Damn!" he said. "I must have forgotten…huh, and I was up all night and I couldn't even remember to finish my shave! Great, I bet I really do look awful."

"Why were you up all night, Jack? Was it Vincent? He kept me awake too with all of his barking and face licking," Michael asked.

"No, no, it wasn't Vincent. I was thinking about Alex, actually," Jack said, turning to face Alex. "I paced around for hours, recalling all of my medical research, trying to figure out what the hell could have happened to you, without hitting your head, no genetic diseases, and no bad food. Then I remembered, really, really early this morning, reading about this powder found somewhere in, like, Africa or South America or something."

"What does it do?" Claire asked.

"Anyways," Jack continued, "it's taken from a certain tree and native people would use it on their weapons to make them even more deadly. It doesn't kill right away; it drags it out for three or four days. I don't remember any of the symptoms except the blindness and dizziness part. I'm thinking that Alex might have inhaled or swallowed that poison inadvertently and that's what caused the blindness." Jack paused.

"I…I don't remember taking any _poison_, Jack. I mean all I had yesterday was some fruit in the morning and water the night before. That's all I ate yesterday considering I had just gone blind and was a little freaked out!" Alex said, making a point.

"No, no, I'm not saying you took poison for the hell of it, I'm just saying that maybe you brushed up against some tree and the powder came off on you and you inhaled it. It's that deadly, Alex," Jack said.

"Woah, woah, woah, doc, so you're saying that we could brush up against some tree, get that shit on us, and die?" Sawyer stood up. "We shouldn't even go in the forest then, for Christ's sake! Why didn't you tell us about this before? We could all have died!" Sawyer said angrily.

"Sawyer, I don't even know if that powder is the true cause of her blindness! I just remembered something that could have caused it, that's all! It might not even grow here, the tree the poison comes from. So just chill, okay?" Jack said, upset too.

"Hey, hey, easy guys, calm down. It's not that big of a deal. Who knows, maybe I did get this poison on me, maybe I didn't. I guess we'll find out soon enough, won't we?" Alex said, exasperated with the boys. She looked at Kate and shook her head, saying, "Honestly!" Kate smiled in agreement.

Alex heard Jack turn in the sand and crunch through the leaves and bushes, taking his leave of the group. Suddenly, Alex felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped, startled.

Sayid laughed. "Hey, sorry about that; didn't mean to scare you."

Alex calmed down and grabbed his hand with her own. "Good morning to you, too, Sayid. Sleep okay?"

"For the most part…I was surprised to find you gone this morning; you didn't wake me up so I panicked," Sayid explained.

"I smelled breakfast. I figured you'd want to sleep, so I let you. Have some of Sun's rabbit, it is _amazing_, Sayid," Alex said.

"You two were…together…last night?" Charlie said, smiling wickedly.

"_Yes_, if it makes any difference to you, and _no_, nothing happened last night! Don't you _even_ think about it, Charlie, or I swear to God, I'll…" Alex didn't get to finish her sentence because Sayid interrupted with, "Nothing happened, Charlie. That's all there is to be said. Now _drop it_." He gave Charlie a mock-anger glare and Charlie returned his look with one raised eyebrow and another wicked smile.

Alex leaned back and sighed with content. "I'm stuffed. Thanks Sun," she said. She stood up and stretched. "I think I'm gonna go take a walk along the beach. Anybody want to come with me?"

Sayid instantly said, "I will, Alex. Thank you Sun, that was delicious." Sun beamed with pride and took his empty bark piece from him. She put some more of the fish and fruit on there, and held it up, offering it to anyone. Sawyer stood up to take it and he sat down. Kate, moving lightning fast, snatched a piece of fish and popped it in her mouth, grinning the whole time, before Sawyer could say, "Hey!"

Sayid came over and took Alex's hand and they started walking down the beach together. They waved goodbye to the others and some waved back.

"Do you think that's a good idea, letting Alex take a walk?" Kate asked, nervously, after they'd walked a ways. "I mean, what if she falls or hurts herself…after all, she can't see."

"Well, Freckles, that's what Sayid's there for, to catch her if she falls. You worry too much, Freckles," Sawyer said, grinning. He gently pushed her shoulder in a friendly way, and Kate pushed him right back, laughing. Not expecting it, Sawyer fell over sideways on the sand, nearly dropping his "plate" of food.

Sayid and Alex walked along the beach, hand in hand. Sayid told jokes to make Alex laugh and she told interesting stories of her past. She only faltered twice when her foot suddenly sank into a sand pit, but Sayid was right there to pull her out.

Alex would cough a few times, nothing serious, but then Sayid noticed her coughing get deeper and it seemed to come deep within her. Then they would pass and Alex would be perfectly fine. Sayid was worried but didn't say anything.

They had been walking on the beach for about 2 hours and enjoying every minute of it. Sayid told Alex a joke:

"Moses, Jesus, and an old guy go golfing. Moses tee's off and hits a ball into the lake. He says, "It's okay, it's okay," and he parts the waters. He hits the ball again and gets a hole in 2. Jesus tee's off and he hits a ball into the lake. He says, "It's okay, it's okay," and he walks across the waters. He hits the ball again and gets a hole in 2. Then the old guy tee's off. The ball flies into a rabbit's mouth and just as the ball went in, an eagle swoops down, picks up the rabbit, and flies off. As they pass over the hole, the rabbit spits out the ball and the old guy gets a hole in 1. Moses turns to Jesus and says, "I hate it when your Dad plays."

Alex laughed hard and shook from laughing so hard. Suddenly, her laughing turned into spasmodic coughing; deep, resonating coughing. She coughed so hard, she suddenly fell onto her knees. Holding herself up with her hands, Alex coughed and coughed. She coughed so hard, she spat out blood.

Sayid bent down and held her steady as she coughed. "Alex, Alex, are you alright?" he asked worried. Finally, she stopped coughing and rolled over on her back, breathing heavily. Sayid touched her face with both hands and asked, "Alex, are you alright? You coughed up blood…" Sayid felt her face with his hands. "You are very warm, Alex. Are you feeling alright? You look very sick…we should go back to Jack."

"Jack…yes…" Alex managed to get out, before another spasm of coughing racked her thin body. Sayid helped her sit up to cough. She put her hands to her mouth to cover it and when she pulled them away…blood. Blood was running down her hand, quite a lot of it. "Oh, Sayid…" Alex started to say. "I…I can feel…"

"Blood?" Sayid asked. "Yes, you are coughing up blood. You are very sick, Alex, we must get you back to Jack, alright? Come on, I'll help you." Sayid put her left arm around his neck and hoisted her up. She stumbled but managed to stay upright.

They walked back to the beach, which took them even longer because Alex would have to stop moving, her coughing was so bad. Each time she coughed, more blood would spill from her open mouth. She was likely to bleed to death, so much blood kept coming up. They finally reached the caves by mid-afternoon and when Sayid helped her to sit on the hospital bed, Alex collapsed on the bed, thoroughly exhausted from coughing.

Sayid knelt beside her and took her hand in his. It was freezing…

"Sayid…" Alex said.

"Yes? What is it?" Sayid asked quickly.

"Find…Jack. The more blood I cough up…" Here, she was interrupted with a spasm of coughing. She pulled her hand away, covered in blood.She continued, "…the weaker I get. Find Jack."

Sayid was reluctant to let her go. He still clung to her hand with dear life. "I don't want to leave you, Alex…" he said.

"Please, Sayid…" Again she stopped for a coughing fit. "Please, Sayid, find Jack. I need him. He can help me…please, Sayid."

Slowly, unwillingly, Sayid let go of her hand and stood up. She placed her newly freed hand over her eyes and the other hand on her stomach. She was burning up inside and her chest felt like it was going to collapse if she coughed again.

Sayid walked out of the cave slowly, and then thinking to himself,_ What am I doing!_, he broke into a sprint. He called out loudly, "Jack! Jack! Jack, where are you! JACK!" Receiving no answer, Sayid sprinted down to the beach. After nearly tripping on a fallen branch, Sayid entered the beach and saw that Sawyer and Kate were snuggling on the sand. They both looked up surprised at Sayid and quickly broke away from each other.

"What is it, Sayid? What's wrong?" Kate asked, her face slightly red from embarrassment.

"Where's Jack? It's Alex…she's coughing up so much blood. Have you seen Jack?" Sayid asked hurriedly.

"She's coughing up _blood!_" Kate fairly shrieked. "Why didn't you say so? I'll help you look for Jack. Come on, Sawyer!"

Sawyer practically flew off the sand as he jumped up to help. Sayid turned away from Kate and, putting his hands around his mouth, he called out, "Jack! JACK!" Kate and Sawyer joined in the calling, jogging behind Sayid as they did. Sayid entered the forest, hoping to find Jack somewhere in there.

Suddenly, Kate grabbed Sayid before he could call out Jack's name again, and said quickly, "The waterfall! He might be there!" Without another word, Kate took off in the general direction of the waterfall, with Sayid and Sawyer in hot pursuit.

**Will they find Jack in time? Who knows? **

**A Bleeding Rose**


	17. The argument and the kiss

Chapter 17 to a LOST Love

Kate burst through the trees and found herself in an open rocky area. The beautiful waterfall cascaded down the rocks and made a huge roar. Kate could see a fine mist coming off of the waterfall and a beautiful rainbow had formed…

Suddenly, Sawyer and Sayid crashed out into the open and Kate dismissed the beauty of the falls. "JACK!" Sayid suddenly yelled, taking off toward the water. Kate and Sawyer looked and saw Jack, Michael, Charlie, and Hurley swimming in the cool water. Well, Hurley was on the side, watching the others, staying in the shade. At Sayid's call, Jack looked up and saw the three of them.

"Hey guys! You have no idea how excellent this water feels!" Jack said happily. The other men turned to look at them and called out to them to come in the water.

"Jack! Please! Alex needs your help!" Sayid said urgently.

The smile instantly fell from Jack's face and he swam over to the rocks. "Why, what does she need? What's wrong?" Jack asked quickly. "Has she regained her sight?"

"No, no, her sight's still gone, but now she's coughing up blood! Hurry, Jack! She needs you!" Sayid said impatiently.

Jack choked on some water and finally managed to get out, "She's coughing up _blood?_ Jesus…" He scrambled to get out of the water but slipped on the rocks. Sawyer bent down and offered his hand to Jack. Jack looked up uncertainly at Sawyer, but then grabbed it firmly and Sawyer helped hoist him up. Jack instantly let go of Sawyer's hand when he stood up, and looked uncertainly at him. Sawyer said nothing and turned away. Jack had stripped himself of his clothes and was only wearing navy blue boxers for swim trunks.

"Come on, Jack! Hurry!" Sayid cried out. Jack flung his sneakers on and took off after Sayid, not bothering to tie the laces. They all ran through the forest, and seeing Jack run through the forest in nothing but boxers, sneakers, and being dripping wet, would have been funny if they weren't racing to help Alex. They all ran and ran until finally they reached the cave. Jack could hear Alex moaning and coughing horrendously inside.

Entering the cave's entrance, Jack saw Alex lying on the "hospital bed", finishing an excruciating cough. He jumped over clothes piles, skirted around the "medicine cabinet", and dropped to his knees next to her. He felt water splash on his legs from the cave floor and looked down…no, it wasn't water, it was blood. A whole pool of it was under his knees. Looking up at Alex's face, he saw that she had turned very pale and a trickle of blood was coming out of the side of her mouth, the only evidence that it was her blood that Jack was sitting in.

Feeling Jack's hands, Alex finally asked, "Jack? Is that you?"

"Yes, Alex, it's me. I heard you were coughing up blood and I came to see how you were." Jack responded gently.

"Yes, blood…so much of it…" A coughing spasm seized her and Jack tipped her on her side so the blood could hit the floor. Her blood was very dark, almost black, when it hit the rocky floor. She really was coughing up a lot of it…she wasn't vomiting the blood yet, but Jack didn't think she would. Coughing it up seemed to be the only way she could get it out of her system.

When she was through, Jack laid her down on her back again. Sayid, meanwhile, had come to the other side of Alex and, when she had finished coughing, took her left hand in his and squeezed it. Alex knew it was him and squeezed back, not saying anything.

Jack leaned his head against her chest, having lost his stethoscope a few days ago. "Sorry, Alex, I can't find that damn stethoscope so this is the only way," he apologized. Sayid just looked at Jack, jealousy flickering in his eyes.

"S'ok, Jack…I understand," Alex replied quietly. She turned her head and sightless eyes toward Sayid and squeezed his hand again, letting him know that everything was alright. Sayid stared back into her blind eyes and wished wholeheartedly that she could see him and respond to his loving gaze.

Jack sat up after a moment and said, "You have a lot of fluid in your lungs. I can hear it even without my stethoscope. It's probably where all this blood is coming from." He indicated to the blood that he was kneeling in to Sayid.

"Jack?" said a voice suddenly from the cave entrance.

Jack turned around, realizing that Kate and Sawyer were still behind him.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Kate asked, frightened.

Jack thought for a moment before replying, "Yea, there is. Can you find Sun for me? Ask her if she has any remedies for coughing. Oh, and can one of you go grab my clothes down at the waterfall? Thanks."

Kate turned to Sawyer and Sawyer said before Kate could say anything, "I'll go get Jack's clothes; you find Sun." Kate nodded in agreement. Without another word, Sawyer suddenly kissed Kate quickly, turned around, and walked away to get Jack's clothes. Kate stood there in a stunned silence for a moment, staring after Sawyer, then headed toward the beach to find Sun.

Jack turned back to find Sayid also looking at where Kate and Sawyer had stood. Sayid returned Jack's gaze and smiled wickedly. Jack smiled, too and shook his head slightly as if to say, "They're silly."

**Kate's searching…**

Kate walked quickly among the various campsites, asking the other survivors if they had seen Sun at all. They all said they hadn't seen her at all and they were sorry.

After the tenth person she asked, Kate was beginning to lose hope. She sat down on a big rock near some bushes and put her head in her hands. She took her hands away and looked around, distressed. "This _sucks,_" she sighed. She sat there for a couple more moments when suddenly she heard whispers coming from around the corner.

Turning very slowly around, Kate ducked behind the bushes and peered through them. She saw Sun and Jin standing aggressively toward each other, speaking in Korean in heated whispers. Sometimes their voices would get a little louder but they would each tell the other to shush. Finally, the shushing didn't work and they didn't seem to care anymore.

Kate stood very still and watched them through the bushes. She made no noise as she didn't want to be discovered. They began to yell at each other loudly; Kate caught a few names like "Sawyer" and "Alex" and "Sayid" in their argument. That perked her interest but still she didn't move.

Without warning, Jin became extremely loud and Sun cowered down in fear. Her eyes became huge and she couldn't get a word in edge-wise. Suddenly, Jin shoved Sun really hard and she fell backwards. Kate heard a sickening crack and Sun didn't get up…

"Hey!" Kate jumped up from her hiding spot to confront Jin. Jin's eyes were huge at what he had done, but when he whirled around, he became very angry again.

"What did you do that for, Jin! She didn't do anything wrong!" Kate walked quickly over to Sun and knelt down beside her. No blood…that was a good sign. She just hit her head and went unconscious. Jin was yelling at Kate the whole time, probably using many profanities in Korean, she guessed. She stood up and confronted Jin.

"Jin, calm down, alright! She didn't do anything wrong!" Kate gestured to Sun's still body. Jin's face fell when he looked at her just lying there; he looked back at Kate with deep remorse written all over his face. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but closed it again and hung his head. Turning around, he slowly walked away. Kate just let him go and sat down by Sun to watch over her.

**Sometimes you just get really mad at Jin….rawr I'll update soon!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	18. Medicine

Chapter 18 to a LOST Love

"God damn it, where is Kate? She should be here by now with Sun and that damn medicine!" Sayid practically shouted.

"Easy, easy, Sayid, she'll get here. She has taken a long time…but she'll get here. Alex isn't going to die on us right now, Sayid, so everything's okay for now," Jack said calmly.

"She isn't going to die on us _now!_" Sayid turned on him. "_She isn't going to die on us NOW!"_

"Alright, Sayid, knock it off!" Jack said gruffly. "I didn't mean it like that…I mean that she's stabilized and has fallen asleep now." He turned his gaze to look on her sleeping form. "She's exhausted from coughing. And she's losing blood quickly; the longer she sleeps, the less she'll cough, and then less blood she'll lose. Do you know what blood type she has?" Jack turned to face Sayid again.

"No, I have no idea," Sayid said frustrated. He rubbed his face with his hands. "Isn't there a…how do you Americans say it…a "universal donor"?"

"Yea, there is, but I don't know anybody's blood type or if they'd be willing to give it," Jack said. "Besides, I have no surgical needles or tubing or machines or anything to work with. There'd be no way I could give it to her anyways. I'm sorry, Sayid, but the best she can do is just to sleep. Sleep, eat, and drink water…the three best medicines we have."

Sayid looked about ready to cry, but he nodded nonetheless. A few seconds later, Sayid suddenly burst out, "That's it! I'm going to find Sun and Kate, wherever she went off to." And with that, he stormed out of the cave. Jack shook his head in Sayid's direction and suddenly saw Sawyer come around the corner.

"Sheesh! What was _that_ all about?" Sawyer asked. He had Jack's clothes in his hands and tossed them to him.

"Sayid's just really upset, that's all. He really cares for Alex and he's just worried," Jack explained. "Sun hasn't been here either and Kate hasn't been back since you guys left. Speaking of Kate…" Jack turned a sly gaze toward Sawyer. "What exactly was that little kiss over there, huh?" He started to put on his shirt.

Sawyer didn't know whether to smile slyly back, to laugh, to ignore him, to be embarrassed… instead he simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "It was nothing."

"_Nothing?_ That was _nothing!"_ Jack asked astonished-bordering-on-sarcastically. "Didn't look like nothing to me…" Jack took off his shoes and slid his shorts on.

Sawyer turned on him. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, slightly threatened.

"Nothing, nothing, only…okay tell me Sawyer, do you have a thing for Kate?" Jack asked pointedly.

Sawyer took a moment, though never breaking his gaze from Jack. He finally said, "Yea, I think I do…is that a problem for ya?" he asked.

"No, no problem at all," Jack said defensively. "I was just curious, that's all. I was just gonna say given your history…Sawyer, you really need to lighten up."

"We all have our little problems, don't we, doc? And it seems like yours is waking up now," Sawyer said, gazing to Jack's right.

Jack turned around to see that Alex was stirring slightly. A soft moan came from her as she put her hand up to her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut. "Oh, Jesus, my head…aaahhh…"

Jack came and squatted down next to her. "Hey," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit, Jack," Alex replied. "My head feels like it's gonna explode and…" suddenly she broke off in a coughing fit. "…and my coughing is still bad. _Great_."

"Well, you weren't coughing in your sleep, which is a good sign," Jack said, becoming the doctor again. "If you were…well, you weren't and that's all that matters."

"Someone else is here," Alex said. "Who is it? I know you're there so don't try to lie to me." She waved her hand in the general direction of Sawyer.

"How can you do that?" Sawyer suddenly asked, coming over to crouch on her other side.

"Since my sight's gone," she coughed a couple times, a little blood speckling her palm, "I can hear a lot better. It's like my body is more in tune with my surroundings than it was with my sight. Try it sometime."

"Try going blind? I don't think so, hun," Sawyer said quickly, shaking his head.

"No, no what she means is just go off by yourself, shut your eyes, and just be still for a moment," Jack said, going all deep on them. "You start to pick up things you would never have noticed before."

"Exactly, Jack," Alex sighed. "Exactly…" She perked up suddenly. "Hey, where's Sayid?"

"He left to go find Kate and Sun," Jack replied.

"They haven't showed up yet? Wow, I must have only passed out for like 10 minutes," Alex said.

"No, you slept for a good hour or two. Sayid left about 5 minutes ago," Jack said. "I think Kate might have gotten lost or something; Sun shouldn't be _that_ hard to find," he said, making a weak joke.

Alex smiled slightly to humor him, then her chest convulsed and a huge torrent of coughing blood seized her. Alex clutched at the side of the bed and Sawyer pried her hand off of it and squeezed it in his own. She squeezed back hard, retching blood and breathing hard between coughing spasms.

"Easy, easy Alex, take a breath," Jack said sternly.

"I…I can't," she managed to gasp out between coughs.

"Yes, you can, Alex, try," Sawyer said. "Come on girl, I know you can. Be like Shannon when her asthma kicks in; take deep breaths."

Alex attempted, failed, and tried again. After she would take a couple breaths, the coughing would start over again, blood flecking from her mouth. "So…painful…" she gasped out. "Insides…burning…" then she managed to succeed in taking more and more deep breaths between the coughing and it slowly subsided. Breathing hard and still squeezing Sawyer's hand in a death grip, she slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

"Damn it!" Sawyer hissed. He bowed his head in anger, still clutching Alex's hand. Jack sat back and rubbed his face with his hands.

**Sayid's escapade…**

Sayid had been walking for a little bit, fuming that Kate was taking so long. He finally got into his head that he should call her name to find her. It was a big island, but she shouldn't have gone far to find Sun.

Cupping his hands to his mouth, Sayid called out, "Kate! Sun! Where are you?" Receiving no reply, save for the wind howling in the trees, he tried again. And again. And again. And again. And again.

Now he was beginning to get frustrated. "God damn it Kate, where are you?" Sayid muttered under his breath. Suddenly, he heard a small voice on the wind, crying "Sayid!" Sayid paused and listened for it again. The small voice chimed again, "Sayid!" and he walked slowly in the general direction of the voice.

"Kate? Sun?" Sayid called out.

"Here! Over here!" the voice cried, louder now. Sayid kept walking toward the voice until he rounded a corner and found Kate sitting next to Sun. Sun lying down, one knee bent, with a wet cloth over her forehead. They looked up when he entered the cave and Sun lowered her cloth. A huge purple bruise was emblazoned on the side of her forehead.

"Sun, what happened to you?" Sayid asked worriedly.

She paused for a moment before answering, "I was standing up and I," she motioned with her hands, "hit the top of the cave." Kate just looked at Sun but didn't say anything.

Sayid said, "Kate, where have you been? Why didn't you come back to the cave? Alex needs Sun and her medicine!"

"I'm sorry, Sayid, but I found Sun lying unconscious on the ground and I had to stay with her until she woke up," Kate said defensively. "I've told her what Alex needs and she's got it right here."

She pulled from behind her a chipped ceramic bowl that Sun had found and inside there was a green pasty stuff. Sayid took it from her and made a face. "What's in this?"

Kate looked at Sun for an explanation, too. "There is a plant in there that will ease coughing and some of Shannon's medicine to help her breathe."

"Thank you, Sun," Sayid said, breathing a sigh of relief. Suddenly, a flash went off and thunder crashed in the sky. Sayid ducked a little, spooked, looking about at what made the noise. Within three seconds, rain came flooding down from the dark sky.

"It didn't look like it was going to rain today," Kate said wonderingly. "Huh…must be the climate here; sunny one instant, pouring rain the next." She shivered suddenly. "Jesus, it got cold all of a sudden. Did you guys feel that?"

"Yes, I feel cold, too," Sun replied, putting the cloth back on her forehead.

"Well, I'll have to go out in this rain to get this back to Alex," Sayid said, motioning toward the bowl.

"Sayid, you can't go out there _now_! You'll get soaked then you'll get sick. That's the last thing we need right now is another person sick." Kate sighed. "You'll just have to wait here until it stops."

"Kate, its just rain; there's no harm in rain," Sayid said. A huge crash of thunder exploded from the sky and they all flinched. "Shit…I guess I can't go out there now. I'll wait until it lightens up a little. I have to get this back to her as soon as I can. Every moment counts…" Sayid stopped, growing forlorn suddenly.

Kate stood up and came over to him. She touched his shoulders comfortingly. "Sayid, she'll be alright. She's a strong girl; she'll pull through."

Sayid looked deep into her eyes and saw she was telling the truth as best as she could. He took her hand and kissed it gently, his eyes never leaving hers. Kate's heart broke and she reached over to hug him. Sayid returned the hug, tears threatening to spill over. Sun just watched the two quietly, not saying anything.

**More to come! Why do you people not review! lol I like reading your guys's reviews!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	19. Trees

Chapter 19 to a LOST Love

After a while, it stopped raining, and Sayid practically flew out of the shelter to run back to the caves, leaving Kate and Sun in his dust. He kept praying he wasn't too late, even though his mind kept telling him he wasn't, that everything was fine.

Sayid ran for what seemed like forever. Suddenly, he tripped, and landed, chest first, with a crash on a thick fallen tree, causing the bowl to fly out of his hands. Watching it fall, his mouth a silent O, he was utterly amazed to see that it landed right side up and spun around without tipping over. _Thank Allah_, Sayid said mentally, breathing a huge sigh of relief. He got up and suddenly felt a terrible pain in his chest. He put his right hand to his left rib and felt where the fire was coming from. It hurt to even touch it, but he realized that he had broken a rib or two. _Damn!_ he thought over and over. _Damn, damn, damn!_

Trying to ignore the pain, unsuccessfully, Sayid got up and picked the bowl up off the ground. He saw that a long crack had appeared on the side of it, but nothing was leaking out, a good sign. _A good deed never goes unpunished,_ Sayid thought, an old saying of his mother's. Kind of a karma thing, only slightly more confusing... since the bowl was alright, he had to be in pain for its possible suffering that might have occurred had it shattered.

Walking back to the caves now, trying to breathe shallowly so as not to upset his ribs, he eventually came to the caves right as it started raining again. It wasn't just a light rain, oh no, it was pouring rain again.

Trying to shield the bowl and its contents with his body and one arm, Sayid stumbled under the caves' protective ceiling, soaking wet. When he looked around and his eyes adjusted to the darkness, his heart lurched in agony, making his ribs flare up in pain.

He saw Sawyer, holding Alex's hand to his chest tenderly, stroking her hair gently. "Come on, Alex, wake up," he was saying softly. He kept stroking her hair and face, unaware that Sayid was watching him. He looked up to see Sayid standing there and said, "Hey, Sayid, she fell asleep. She's getting worse…ah good you found the medicine."

Sayid didn't even hear him. All he heard was theintense pounding of his heart in his ears and watching Sawyer hold her hand. Sawyer's mouth still moved as he was talking, but Sayid heard none of it. He set the bowl down, very slowly as his ribs hurt him, turned around, and walked straight out into the rain. He didn't even hear Sawyer come to the edge of the cave and shout, "Sayid! Sayid!" at his back.

Sayid was in utter shock…how _could_ he? How could Sawyer do that, _right in front of him_? Yes, Alex didn't even move a muscle, but _Sawyer…_Jealousy flared within Sayid's mind, sharp as a poker. One part of him felt like shouting to the dark sky, one part felt like breaking down and sobbing, one part of him felt like hitting something, one part felt absolute numbness…

Sayid felt like he was going to be sick. He noticed that Sawyer hadn't chased after him and that only made him madder. Curses flew through his head, right and left, though he never voiced them. He started to head one direction, then checked quickly to head another direction, and checked himself again. He was sort of pacing sporadically, never choosing a direction to head in.

Finally, after much sporadic pacing,Sayid stopped himself and stood rooted in the ground. If he couldn't go anywhere in _those_ directions, why not go…_up?_ Looking up toward the sky that was pouring down rain, Sayid squinted against the rain until he saw a tall palm tree, with leaves thrashingagainst the downpour. Making up his mind, he walked briskly over to the tree and looked for a part he could grab.

Finding one, Sayid gripped the tree and began to climb up it. He would grip the tree with both hands, hoist both feet up and set them against the trunk, and then he would push with his legs to reach upward with his hands. A very interesting way to climb, but efficient nonetheless…

Sayid suddenly lost his footing, but clung onto the trunk with both hands, a sweat breaking out. He didn't care about the rain, he didn't care that his hands hurt, he didn't care about Alex or Sawyer, and he simply didn't care about anything. He struggled to regain his footing and began his climb again. The top of that tree was his goal; all he wanted in the whole world at that moment was to reach the top of the tree.

Finally, after a lot of struggling, he made it. He hoisted himself so he was straddling a branch and rested. His ribs were on fire and when he lifted up his shirt to look, he saw a huge purpling bruise spreading around his whole rib area. He knew he probably shouldn't have made this climb, but he felt energized and elated that he made it to the top.

Resting there on the top, he realized that he had one hell of a view. He could see the beach and the rain hitting the water, making it look flat from where he was. He could look another direction and see the huge mountain and all of its forestry. Simply amazing…

Leaning back to revel in this new discovery, he felt something poke him in the back _hard_. Looking perturbed at being disrupted, Sayid reached around and felt something smooth, like wood or plastic. Turning around so he could see better, amidst the outcries of his ribs, he pulled on the thing and brought it around in front of him.

It was a knife…a huge knife with a hard, fire-blackened wood handle. The blade was lethal looking, though crudely carved. The blade had a lot of dents in it, like an Indian's arrowhead. The edges weren't exactly straight, but they weren't exactly jagged either; they were almost straight but then dents and cuts would carve into the blade, like they had chipped off there.

Sayid clutched onto the handle and turned it this way and that. The handle fit perfectly in his fist, so it was obviously a man's weapon. It couldn't be a tool; no human being would use a knife like that for rope cutting or meat chopping; no, it was a war weapon. A deadly one, Sayid assumed.

Looking down at the ground from his tall height, Sayid held the knife precariously over the ground, point down, and let it fall. It fell like an arrow straight toward the ground and sunk all the way into the wet earth, making a slight noise as it did. Sayid leaned back, enjoying that he was out of the rain, and slowly slipped into the deep oblivion of sleep, his mind flashing Alex's smiling face once more.

**SO SAD!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	20. Torturing nightmares

Chapter 20 to a LOST Love

Deep in the recesses of sleep, Sayid heard birds peeping and wings fluttering. Stirring slightly, he became aware that he was _very_ stiff-legged. Sayid yawned and his ribs instantly shrieked in pain. He groaned, memories of the past evening resurfacing in his mind.

Opening his eyes slowly, Sayid saw a small bird had alighted on the branch he was straddling, a beautiful bird; red with an orange breast and a green splash of color on its wing. It cocked its head this way, then the other way, staring at Sayid and wondering what to make of him. Sayid stared calmly back at the bird and suddenly the bird took off. Sayid followed it with his gaze, a scarlet streak against the blue sky.

Suddenly, he heard voices below him. Perking his ears up and turning his head to get a better angle, he heard several voices.

He heard his name being called over and over. The voices would fade and then get louder.

"Sayid!" He kept hearing the voices call out. He recognized them now; it was Kate and Michael. He saw Michael push a tree branch out of the way and held it back for Kate to pass by. She smiled at him in thanks and called out, "Sayid!"

Getting no response, she turned to Michael. "What could have happened to him? All Sawyer said was he showed up at the caves, turned around, and just walked back out in the rain again."

Michael shrugged. "Well, knowing _Sawyer_…I don't know."

"What, you think Sawyer lied to us?" Kate asked, her eyebrows raising.

"I honestly don't know what to tell you," Michael replied, shrugging. "I mean, Sawyer _has_ lied to us before, so why should now be any different?"

"I guess you're right…" Kate said uncertainly. "I hope he's not lying…that would be awful if something happened to Sayid," she said, diverting the topic from Sawyer.

Sayid, perched up in his tree, almost laughed. They were so unaware he was up there, it was very amusing. He gave a piercing whistle that made Kate start. They looked up in his tree and he gave a small wave.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here, Kate," Michael said loudly, standing with his hands on his hips. "What is that, a monkey?" He laughed.

"That'd be a damn big monkey, Michael," Kate grinned. "Hey, monkey, what are you doing up there? And where did you go last night?" Kate shouted to him.

"I've been up here the whole night," Sayid shouted back.

"In the rain?" Kateshouted wonderingly.

"There's a spectacular view up here, guys, you should come up and look," Sayid yelled, changing the subject. He gazed around at his wonderful view to make his point.

"How are you gonna get down?" Michael shouted up to him.

Sayid looked around the base of the tree. _Uh oh_, he thought. He hadn't thought about how to get down last night. He also noticed that his knife was gone, too. Someone had taken it…

"Uhhh…" Sayid answered. "Well…uhhh…I don't know, actually!"

"Okay, well hang up there for a bit longer, okay?" Katecalled up to him. "We're gonna go get a rope or something for you to climb down!"

"Don't take too long!" Sayid shouted down, laughing.

Kate and Michael turned away to head back where they came from. Sayid heard Kate say to Michael, "At least he's laughing." Michael nodded. "Although _what_ he would be doing in a tree all night…" her voice broke off and she said no more.

Sayid sat back and gazed out at the green mountain with a white cloud hanging over its peak. He sighed, closing his eyes again. The events of last night came rushing back to him…Sawyer holding Alex's hand, the pouring rain, the climbing…none of it was making sense in his head.

_Alex_, Sayid whispered in his thoughts. _Alex..Alex…Alex…_

**Back at the caves…**

Sawyer was sound asleep, propped up against the cave wall. Nothing could have made him wake up from this wonderful dream he was having: _Kate, wearing a bikini, running along the beach and splashing in the ocean…coming up soaking wet…_well, you get the picture.

Alex was tossing and shaking on her bed. She had turned ashen grey, and she was breathing in short ragged gasps. She was dreaming…

_Smoke from torches burned all around her. She felt the presence of others pressing against her but she could not see them. She tried to say something but the smoke choked her words in her throat. On and on they walked until suddenly she was pushed roughly forward onto the sand. Laughter ensued from behind her as she fell, laughing at her pitiful form. _

_Slowly lifting her head up, her gaze met with an awful sight. Sayid hung limply there in front of her, his hands and feet chained to the rock wall so his body made an X on it. His stomach and chest had been cut open, his organs removed,and his wrists were slashed. He didn't open his eyes and he didn't move…Alex tried to scream but nothing came out. She tried to cry but no tears fell...A deep, raspy voice whispered from the darkness, "The lover…" then it laughed again. _

_She looked around her and saw bodies everywhere…all of the castaways were there. The men were chained to the wall like Sayid was…Sawyer, Jack, Charlie, Jin, Michael…they were all cut open in various ways and left to die. She looked to her left in utter horror to turn away from the bodies…her gaze saw Hurley lying dead on a flat rock. Alex was almost sick…Hurley had been carved away like some animal until nothing remained except his face, bones, and some leftover muscle and skin. Blood was everywhere around the rock and she saw that Hurley had been tied down to the rock so he couldn't move…he had been alive when they hacked into him… Alex tried to scream again…why was she being shown this! Who could have done this? She saw behind Hurley, Locke had been hung and as she looked at his face, she saw his eyes and tongue had been cut out. Blood spilled down his face from the empty sockets… His feet were black as if they had been burned…they burned his feet as he hung to torture him…black blood flowed out of him from darts that pierced his skin on his chest and legs. The voice whispered on the wind, "The hunter…"_

_She heard morelaughter behind her, wicked laughter, but she couldn't turn around to see who it was. Alex's mouth moved silently, "No, no, no." Her head was grabbed and her gaze forced to turn around and look at the mutilated bodies. She saw the women huddled together, dead of starvation and fear, their bellies caved in and bones smashed. Claire, Kate, and Sun were leaning against each other, as if sleeping. Claire's baby had been taken from her and done away with…Alex just knew that something awful had befallen the baby like the rest. Flowers draped around them as if they were…offerings…Shannon had been impaled on a sharp pole straight through her stomach. She was naked and Alex saw blood had flown from between her thighs…she had been raped until her insides burst…the voice whispered yet again, "The sister…"_

_Alex heard movement to her right and she saw a small form crouched in a corner. It was Walt! He was still alive! Alex tried to cry out to him, though no sound came out. He turned slowly to look at her, and Alex shrieked soundlessly, crawling backwards on the sand. Walt's face was practically gone, cut off piece by piece. Muscles twitched as he tried to move his mouth, blood spilled out of cracks in the tissues, his eyelids had been cut off…he stretched his hands out toward Alex, pleading for help, and Alex saw his fingernails had been ripped out. The horror…the inhumanity…_

_Alex couldn't close her eyes to block out the insanity…she was entirely powerless against the force that held her head. Suddenly, Claire moved ever so slightly and opened her eyes…she wasn't dead yet! Alex tried to cry out her name, but Claire only opened her parched lips and whispered, "Run…" Without warning, a dark figure moved in front of Alex's vision, and when it had moved, Claire's throat was cut, blood spilling down her chest. Suddenly, the force that held Alex released its hold and she got up and ran. _

_She ran because her life depended on it. It was pitch black outside so she stumbled many times, her heart racing. She could hear fast breathing somewhere; she assumed it was her own. She tried to scream for help but her voice was still stuck. Without warning, she fell down a slight rock hill, bumping and crashing on her way down. _

Back in the real world, Alex had fallen out of her bed onto the hard rock floor, but she didn't wake up at all. Crying out in pain, she rolled over onto her stomach, her hair hanging in her face, and began to slowly crawl out of the cave. Sawyer still slept deeply, unaware that she had fallen.

_An immense pain took over her lower body and she tried to get up but couldn't. Her legs wouldn't work! She could hear the things behind her running after her. She tried to stand up but nothing would move. In a frenzy, she grabbed at the dirt and rocks around her and crawled over them. Anything to get away…her hands were bleeding and pain was coursing through her body, each heartbeat a wave of pain. She couldn't stop…she mustn't stop…must get away…_

Alex kept crawling along the grass and fallen branches. Her hands were really beginning to bleed as she crawled along in her delirium. Her shirt was ripping open as she dragged her "useless" legs along the ground. Her eyes never opened but she couldn't make them. The horrors of the deaths played within her mind and she kept crawling along.

**I have to stop now…I'm getting really freaked out just writing this! As she's crawling on the ground, picture Samara from "The Ring"…creepy isn't it?**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	21. Where is she, Sawyer?

Chapter 21 to a LOST Love

"Throw it up here!" Sayid yelled.

Back in the forest, Michael and Kate had come back with the rope, along with Jack in case Sayid might be hurt. Jack just stood at the bottom of the tree, arms crossed, not saying anything. Michael tossed one end of the rope up to Sayid and it wrapped itself once, twice around the limb. Sayid scooted across the branch and made a slip knot out of the rope.

Sayid looked down uncertainly, as if questioning what he should do next.

"Can you grab the rope and swing yourself down from the limb?" Kate shouted up to him.

Sayid nodded and paused for a second. Grabbing the rope with both hands, he took a deep breath and slid off of the tree limb. He cried out in pain from his ribs and being so stiff. Surprisingly, he held on! Releasing his breath, Sayid began to lower himself down.

"He really is a monkey," Kate said laughingly.

"I heard that," Sayid said, making his way down.

Sayid finally slid all the way down and blew on his hands to cool the rope burn. Kate walked over to him, smiling. "Hey, Sayid, glad you're okay." She hugged him and he hugged her back. Michael came over and slapped his shoulder, friendly-like. Sayid winced in pain.

Seeing that wince, Jack came over and simply asked him, "What hurts, Sayid?" Sayid lifted up his shirt and Michael whistled.

"_Dang,_ Sayid! How the hell did you do that?" Michael asked.

"I was trying to bring back the medicine from Sun and Kate. I tripped over a rock, smashed, chest first I might add, into a fallen tree. Hence the pain…" Sayid said, glancing at Jack.

Jack just shook his head. "Well, I'm just glad you're okay, besides the ribs. Why did you come out here? And climb a tree, nonetheless?"

"I just needed to be alone," Sayid said, his face falling. Jack was about ready to ask why, but Kate shot him a look and he shut up.

"Let's head on back to the caves, fix ya up, shall we?" Jack said, putting an arm around Sayid's shoulders. Sayid grinned and they all headed off toward the caves, Kate handing him some water, and Michael talking about possibly getting rid of Vincent because he was so gosh darn _irritating_!

A while later, the group emerged in the caves, laughing and talking. Sayid froze instantly upon glancing at Sawyer. Hatred swelled up inside of him…his fists clenched together.

Sawyer was still sleeping, a slight grin on his face. Kate noticed the grin and asked the others, "Huh…what do you think he's dreaming about?"

They just stared back at her, grins breaking out on all of their faces and Sayid raising an eyebrow knowingly. She looked taken aback. "ME!" She blushed mightily. Sayid looked about the cave…

"Hey, where's Alex?" he asked instantly.

The others looked around as well, their faces growing worried. "Oh, Jesus," Jack said. Walking quickly over to Sawyer, he grabbed his shoulder and shook him awake. "Sawyer! Sawyer, wake up!"

Groaning from frustration, Sawyer managed to spit out thickly, "What? What? What is it?"

"Where's Alex, Sawyer?" Kate asked, freaked.

Sawyer opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times. Seeing her empty bed, he stirred, throwing the blanket off of him. "I…I don't know. She was here last night…"

"Where is she, Sawyer?" Sayid asked angrily.

"Sayid, I don't know!"

Sayid lunged at Sawyer. He grabbed him by the collar and pinned him against the wall. "Where is she!" Sayid shouted in his face. "WHERE!"

"Sayid, stop it!" Kate screamed. She tried to pry his hands off of Sawyer's collar to no avail. "Sayid, he doesn't know! Stop!"

Sayid released Sawyer unexpectedly, murder glaring out of his eyes. Sawyer put a hand up near his throat, scared of Sayid. Suddenly, Sayid turned and jogged out of the cave. Jack took one look at the others and followed Sayid out. The others joined him.

Sayid burst upon the beach, looking right and left. He saw nothing except white sand and crashing waves. Jack crashed behind him and said breathlessly, "Sayid, you go that way, I'll go this way." Then he took off away from Sayid down the beach. Sayid instantly understood and headed down the beach the other way. Kate, Michael, and Sawyer stopped, glancing at the two heading opposite directions. None of them moved, unsure who to follow.

Kate put a hand to her forehead and scuffed some sand. "Shit!" she said. "God damn it, Sawyer! If you wouldn't have been such a lazy bum, sleeping away while Alex left…aaaahh," she cried out frustrated. She sat down on the sand and put her head in her hands.

Sawyer said nothing, he just gazed out on the ocean, looking very sorry. His shoulders slumped down and he ran his hands through his hair. Michael just gave Sawyer a look…Sawyer met his gaze and then turned away from it.

**Sayid…**

Sayid ran full speed down the beach. His mind and his heart were racing, tears were starting to come down his face… everything was so messed up. If he wouldn't have taken off in a jealous fury, she might still be there. If he wouldn't have acted so selfishly, she might still be there. All these thoughts raced through his head, making him feel even worse. He tripped once, falling into the very hot sand.

Suddenly, Sayid stopped running and gazed out in the distance. He saw a figure, crawling on the ground as if in agony, hair covering its face. It reached the water's edge and slumped down, not moving again.

**Alex…**

_Alex kept crawling on the ground, the voices growing fainter and fainter. Instead, a roaring noise took their place, getting louder and louder the more she crawled forward. It whispered to her, it caressed her, it comforted her. The louder it got, the more she wanted it. The rocks faded from her hands and were replaced by clouds. Her hands still hurt, but no longer were they abused by rocks. The clouds were so soft under her hands, although quite warm…the roaring increased, and still she crawled forward. _

_Suddenly, a cooling sensation washed over her bleeding palms. Relief swept through Alex, her fears gone. She crawled a little farther into the coolness until her painful legs could also feel the relief. She rolled over onto her back and let the salvation wash over her. _

Sayid saw all of this and ran to help her. Crying profusely now, Sayid knelt down next to Alex's body and ran his hands over her aura, unsure where to touch first. He finally settled for her face and he brushed the hair out of it. Her sightless eyes stared up at him and fluttered shut. She seemed to go limp in his hands with relaxation. Sayid scooped up her chest and held her, rocking back and forth and sobbing. He knew she was alright, but for how much longer, he didn't know…

**A Bleeding Rose**


	22. Amber liquid

Chapter 22 to a LOST Love

Alex mumbled something against Sayid's chest. He stopped in mid-sob to look into her face. "Alex? Alex talk to me, please," Sayid begged. He caressed her cheek with the palm of his hand, begging her to speak to him.

"So sorry…felt safer…near water…" she managed to get out. In her delirium, the relief she was lying in felt like water washing over her, though she didn't know that's what it really was. "Felt safer…sorry," she sighed.

"No, no, don't be sorry," Sayid said quickly. He wiped at his tears with the back of his hand. "There's no need to be sorry. You felt safe here," he looked around at the water. He turned back to look at her face and said, "I'm here now…I'm here."

Alex kept mumbling and tossing against his grip. A single tear rolled down her face before she whispered, "Sayid…no…Sayid…" Sayid, thinking he was hurting her, relaxed his grip on her and she only fought him harder.

_She was being pulled out of the relief. Now it only remained on her feet, gently caressing them. Something pulled her into a black, smothering embrace. Alex thought of Sayid again…the awful images…the horrible, bloody, torturing images of the castaways went streaking through her head again. Alex struggled soundlessly to get out of the crushing grip. _

Sayid gently set Alex back down in the sand, trying not to hurt her. She was struggling to get out of his grip. Alex instantly pushed herself onto her side and began to roll away from Sayid. But after only one roll, she stopped herself on her back, unable to go any farther. Her breath was coming out in ragged gasps now; she could barely breathe. Sayid went to touch her and instantly flinched…she inhumanly grey-colored and she was utterly freezing.

After a few more moments, Alex stopped moving, slipping back into sleep. What she dreamed of, we'll never know, but Sayid almost thought she had died. Crawling over to her, Sayid picked her up and was shocked to see she weighed even less than she had during her forest incident. She now weighed about that of a 10 year old child, so completely wasted she was.

Sayid carried her along the beach for what seemed like forever. Alex didn't move at all, save for a few breaths now and then. Sayid stared blankly ahead, as if he too had nothing to live for.

Suddenly, Sayid heard bushes crackling to his right where the forest started. He whipped his head around and saw Boone of all people just standing there, watching him. Sayid stopped for a second, staring back at him, before he finally shouted to him over the roaring of the ocean, "Boone! Get Jack! Hurry!" Boone just stood there silently, as if mocking him.

"Boone! Run and get Jack, now!" Sayid said again, angrily.

"Let her go, Sayid!" Boone shouted back.

Sayid was instantly stunned; he almost dropped Alex right there. _Let her go…_

"She has nothing to live for, Sayid! It would be better if you let her go now than later…" Boone shouted.

Sayid's face contorted with fury and he gently set Alex down before sprinting after Boone. "What the hell do you mean, let her go!" Sayid screamed. Suddenly, Boone clutched his head as if in agony. He cried out in pain and Sayid stopped running toward him.

Boone sank down to one knee in pain, still clutching his head. "Sa…Sayid…hurry…" Boone managed to get out. "There isn't…much time…left…before…" that was all he could say.

"Hurry to do what, Boone? There isn't much time for what?" Sayid asked hurriedly.

"Take this…" Boone gasped out, still clutching his head. He rolled onto his back and screamed with pain. "No! No more! Please! AAH! NO MORE!" he cried out. "Sayid! Take this! Hurry!" He wriggled out of his backpack and let it fall away from him. Sayid scooped up the backpack quickly before Boone could crush it with his rolling body.

Sayid quickly opened up the backpack to find a huge shot filled with amber liquid. It seemed to glow and shift within the shot like a lava lamp…Sayid stood transfixed by the liquid. "Boone…where did you get this?" Sayid whispered, still staring at the liquid. Suddenly, Boone screamed again, and Sayid snapped out of his reverie. He instantly understood what it was for… He took off toward the beach again to find Alex lying exactly where he had set her.

Skidding to a halt and crashing down to his knees, Sayid knelt next to Alex. He paused for a moment, studying her. She wasn't breathing…she didn't move at all when Sayid came running next to her. Sayid's hand shot out to feel her neck pulse and found none. A slight trickle of blood slid from the corner of her mouth and into her filthy hair.

Crying out, Sayid realized he was too late. Looking at the needle, Sayid took one final chance…he plunged the needle straight into Alex's heart and injected the amber liquid. Alex didn't even flinch…

Sayid looked at Alex for a few moments, but nothing happened. She neither breathed nor moved. Bowing his head in utter defeat, Sayid began to sob.

_Alex was still pulled into the crushing blackness of the awful embrace. Suddenly, pain shot through her entire body, from the top of her head all the way down into her feet. The pain was so intense…so awful…she knew the end was near. She begged the pain to come so that the end would come sooner and she could be at peace. _

_A flash of pale light exploded in Alex's eyes. She cried out silently in shock…the light only intensified, growing brighter and brighter until suddenly the explosion rocked her body again and she gasped. _

A loud gasp escaped from Alex's open mouth. Her chest heaved upward, and her sightless eyes flashed open.

Sayid jumped in fear at Alex's sudden reaction. His mouth trying to figure out words his brain couldn't understand, Sayid merely watched in shock as Alex's eyes slowly grew less and less white and finally became her normal eyes.

Alex gasped again at being able to see and she hurriedly closed her eyes against the bright sun. "Oh, oh, oh," was all she could say. She squinted at Sayid's form next to her and managed to get out, "Sa…Sayid? Sayid, is that you?"

Finally, blurting out the only word his brain could comprehend, Sayid said, "Yes! Yes!"

"Oh, Sayid!" Alex cried out. They jumped together and hugged each other, kissing rapidly all over each other's faces. Tears began to pour out of Alex's eyes. She pulled away and looked into his happy face.

"Oh, Sayid…I can see again! The first thing I wanted to see was your face, and my wish came true! You have no idea of the horrors that I saw…but they don't matter now. They were only dreams. Oh Sayid!" She grabbed him again and this time, they shared one long, passionate, intense kiss.

**:begins to cry with happiness:  
**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	23. Boone's been kidnapped!

Chapter 23 to a LOST Love

A piercing scream shocked Alex and Sayid from their embrace and they quickly pulled away. Their glances simultaneously flicked toward the forest, then back at each other.

"Boone!" Sayid said suddenly. Scrambling up, Sayid grabbed Alex's hand to hoist her up and they ran toward the forest.

Without warning, a huge thump shook the earth beneath them. Trees began to crash and fall down everywhere. Birds flew up out of the trees by the hundreds, shrieking in protest. Sayid and Alex halted where they were and looked toward the forest in fear.

"Jesus H. Christ!" Alex whispered, putting her hands on her head. Sayid barely acknowledged her and still stared at the forest.

Another scream echoed through the forest and the giganticbeast walked away, the screams dying with it. Sayid and Alex stood paralyzed at the forest's edge, afraid to go in.

Sayid called out tentatively, "Boone? Boone, are you there?" No one answered. Sayid looked back at Alex then slowly headed into the forest, with her in tow. They only walked a short ways when they came to where Sayid had found Boone.

Sayid spotted something on the ground and let go of Alex's hand. He walked over to it and knelt down…it was Boone's backpack. Sayid grabbed it with one hand and felt something slimy all over it. He dropped it hurriedly and looked at his hand…

It was covered in blood…Boone's blood. The backpack was fairly soaking with it on one side. Sayid looked around to see which way the creature had gone but saw nothing save for a few fallen trees in different directions. Alex knelt beside him and her knees cracked as she sank down. Sayid jumped a little, but said nothing. "Oh Sayid…" Alex started to say.

A crashing through the trees behind them made the two stand up and whip around very fast. They crouched down, ready to bolt should it be something dangerous.

No…it was Jack! And Kate and Sawyer and Charlie and everyone else! "What the hell…is…" Jack started to say before staring at Alex, his mouth agape.

Sayid immediately slouched down, breathing a sigh of relief. Alex on the other hand straightened up and looked at all of the newcomers.

"ALEX!" Kate practically screamed with joy. Racing forward, Kate pushed past Jack and grabbed Alex in a hug. Laughing and wincing slightly, Alex hugged her back warmly.

Looking over Kate's shoulder,Alex grinned and laughed again. "You should see the looks on your guys' faces," she said. She couldn't continue with laughing so hard.

"Ok you know what, this is some freaky shit here," Hurley said, breaking the group's silence. "Man, Alex, you gave us all a scare here! I mean, first you're blind, coughing up blood, and all loopy, and now you're better…what's up with that?"

"What was that screaming that we heard?" Charlie butted in. "Was that you, Alex?"

Alex shook her head, her smile dropping. Sayid said, "No, it wasn't her. It was Boone. The…the thing took him." He bowed his head. "He was right here," Sayid gestured with his hand toward the bloody backpack. "I ran to find Alex on the beach and came back here to find that he had gone."

Jack was still staring at Alex, rubbing his mouth and head in turns. Alex turned to look at Jack. "What?" she asked him.

"Sorry, it's just…I'm really confused. You were to the point of death and now you're standing up and talking to us, with your sight back, I might add," Jack said.

Kate still hadn't let go of Alex, but she had pulled away from the embrace. She now had her arm around Alex's waist, friendly-like. "You're so thin!" Kate said, shocked at Alex's wasted form and smiled. Alex smiled back at her.

"Will one of you _please_ explain to me how the hell this happened?" Jack said, growing impatient.

"What, Boone being taken or Alex's _miraculous_ recovery?" Sayid said laughing. He came over and grabbed Alex's other side of her waist. Kate, seeing this, backed off slowly to let them be together.

"Ah!" Alex cried out suddenly, flinching away from Sayid. Sayid looked at her in surprise. "Owww…that really hurt!" Alexsaid.She turned around to find the source of the pain. The group got a good look at her back. "Eep!" Kate blurted out suddenly before quickly covering her mouth with her hand in embarrassment.

Alex's back was covered in blood. Her old wounds had come open again and they had soaked through her bindings and Kate's shirt she was still wearing. Sayid took her shoulders and ran his gaze over her back. "You need new dressings, Alex. You might even need stitches for some of these," he said.

"Aww, man!" Alex said childishly and she pouted. Jack came over and touched her shoulder. "Well, while we go back to the caves and fix you up, you can tell us all about your "miraculous recovery". How's that sound?"

"Alrighty Jack, sounds fine to me. And _you_ can tell me all about what I've missed this past decade," Alex responded.

Jack looked confused for a second, then replied, "Alex, you were only sick for 3 days."

Alex looked at Jack squarely to see if he was kidding; he wasn't. Sheraised her eyebrows but simply said,"Hey, it felt like a decade to me," she said.

Sawyer laughed. "Maybe you can tell her exactly what she _did_, doc." He continued to laugh. No one laughed with him so he clarified, "You know…all her sleep-talking and her giving Charlie a good thump on the head…am I gettin' through to ya, Jack?"

Jack grinned. "Yea, yea, I hear ya."

"Hey, man, that _really_ hurt!" Charlie protested. He turned to face Alex and he said, "You were havin' this dream, some awful dream, let me tell you." The group started walking back to the caves together. Sayid walked quickly forward and grabbed Alex's hand…he wasn't going to let her go again. "Well, you started cryin' and all, and I mean _really_ crying. So, being the kind person that I am…" Charlie paused for effect. Alex smiled at him to keep going.

"Well, being the kind person that I am, I tried to shake you awake," he continued. "Suddenly, your arm swung at me and before I could duck, your fist hit me right on the head!" Alex broke out laughing.

Sawyer broke in laughing, too, "Yea, and he started walkin' around like this," and he made this goofy, dazed face and started stumbling around. Alex continued to laugh, harder this time.

"Hey, it wasn't like _that_, man!" Charlie said quietly, embarrassed.

"Oh, yes it was!" Sawyer said, nodding the affirmative to Alex.

Charlie and Sawyer were still debating it as they walked away from Boone's kidnapping. Only Sun paused, looking back to where Boone had been. Glancing at the group walking away from her, she turned and ran back to where Boone's backpack still lay. She picked up the pack, not really noticing the blood, and headed back to catch up with the group.

**More to come soon!**

**A Bleeding Rose**


	24. It's already begun

Chapter 24 to a LOST Love

"Ouch! Jack, that _hurts!_

Jack looked up from his stitching to see Alex's turned head. "I'm sorry, Alex, we don't have any medication with us. All the aspirin is gone. I'm almost done, I swear," he replied.

Alex turned around again to find Sayid's smiling face in front of her. She raised her eyebrows in surprise then smiled, too. Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the cave and they turned to see Sun standing in the entrance. She was holding Boone's bloody backpack.

"Oh shit," Sayid said, remembering something. "I forgot something on the beach. I'd better go get it." Looking to Alex for her permission, which she nodded slightly to, Sayid walked past Sun with a nod. She turned back to the others and said, "I've found something in Boone's sack."

Reaching into the sack, Sun pulled out a small bag of powder. It looked like cocaine, except it was pure white like sugar. Sun turned it in the sunlight and the others saw that when it hit the light just right, flecks of black appeared through it.

"Lemme see that," Jack said motioning toward the bag. Sun tossed it to him and Jack caught it one handed. He examined the bag then proceeded to open it.

"Careful!" Kate said suddenly. "You don't know what that stuff is. It doesn't look like any drug I've ever seen…What about you, Charlie? Have you ever seen this?"

Jack tossed Charlie the bag. Charlie examined it like Jack did. "Nope, I've never seen this before. I mean, look a' all these black spots in it…strange…"

"Jack…" Kate said. "What if this is that poison you were telling us about? None of us have ever seen it, you haven't seen it…what if this is it?"

"But why would Boone have it with him?" Jack returned. "And he has so much of it, too…but why?"

"Tell us about those dreams you had, Alex," Michael said, breaking the tension.

Alex away from the group and sighed, "I don't know if I can…the things I saw…" Here she paused, uncertain whether to go on or to stop. Still talking for comfort, Alex said, "I saw everyone here…you," she looked at Michael, "Sayid, Kate, Sawyer, Shannon, everybody. Speaking of Shannon…I haven't seen her in a while. That day I was blind, at breakfast, do you remember?" She glanced at Kate who nodded. She continued, "Did Shannon ever show up for breakfast or not? I never really found out because of…circumstances."

"We haven't seen her since before you got sick," Charlie replied. "It's like she just…vanished. We sent out search parties, but they all came back without her. And trust me, we looked _everywhere_ we possibly could look. But we couldn't find her at all."

Alex's face went pale instantly. She put her head in her hands and sighed. "Shit," she said quietly.

"What?" Kate asked.

Alex sighed again then looked Kate straight in the eye. "It's already begun…"

**Ooh, creepy ending! hehe sorry I haven't been able to write more I've been so busy. **

**A Bleeding Rose**


	25. How do you know?

Chapter 25 to a LOST Love

"What's begun?" a voice said at the cave's entrance. Alex looked up to see Sayid had come back and in his hand was a _huge_ shot.

Sucking in her breath through bared teeth, Alex scooted backwards away from it. Jack was unprepared for it and his needle stabbed her back. She didn't even notice as her eyes, impossibly wide, were fixed on that _thing_. She sort of fell in Jack's lap and he grabbed her arms to steady her.

Sayid looked quickly at the shot in his hand and then instantly hid it behind his back. A cringe lined his face as he said, "Alex?"

Alex sort of relaxed and climbed out of Jack's lap, saying "Sorry" quietly as she did. "Sorry, Sayid; that…that _thing_ sorta freaked me out."

"Where the hell did you get that?" Walt asked Sayid. Michael instantly cuffed him on the back of the head, glaring at him for his profanity. Walt looked defiant for a moment, but his expression softened and he turned back to Sayid.

"This is what saved Alex's life," Sayid explained. "See, I found her on the beach and I started to carry her back…when I looked and saw Boone in the woods," Sayid stared off into space as he said, "He was just…_staring _at me. I pleaded with him to help me or get Jack, but all he said was…" here Sayid broke off.

"All he said was what, Sayid?" Jack asked.

Silently, Sayid said, "He said, "Let her go…" I became angry, chased after him, and then he started rolling on the ground. I almost pounced on him, but he was in mortal agony, clutching his head. He managed to say, "There's not much time left, take this." I grabbed this out of his bag," and with that he brought the shot out from behind his back and Alex flinched again. Looking apologetically at Alex, Sayid continued, "This needle held this liquid, this unearthly stuff. I ran back to Alex and by that time she…she was…" Sayid rubbed his hand over his face as he struggled to get it out.

"She was what?" Charlie asked, prompting Sayid to continue.

"She was…" Sayid still couldn't say it. Finally, he dropped his hand and blurted it out. "She was dead." Charlie's eyes went huge and Claire's and Kate's faces paled instantly.

"Jesus," Sawyer said softly. His eyes, too, had gone huge, though he tried to disguise it.

"Well, if she was already dead, how did you bring her back?" Jack asked, going all doctor-ish on Sayid. "I mean, unless you stabbed that needle straight into Alex's heart…" he paused, seeing Sayid nod sagely.

"That's exactly what I did, Jack," Sayid said.

"So it wasn't all a dream," Alex said softly.

Kate turned to her. "What?"

Alex looked back at Kate. "When I was dreaming, I felt this awful pain stab me right in my chest and course through my body. It was like lava was racing through my veins and swirling all inside me...Then this bright explosion of light shook me and I realized that I was staring directly at the sun. That's when I woke up. So, that pain must have been what Sayid did to me." Here she looked back at Sayid, eyebrow raised as if to ask _Am I right?_

Sayid nodded again.

"Let me see it," Alex said gesturing to the huge shot. Sayid walked slowly over to her, bent down and handed it to her. Alex took it from him and with a great bang, her eyes went dark and she saw something else unfold in front of her…

_She was walking forward, carrying the needle in her hand. She approached a man who grinned wickedly at her and she dropped the thing in his hand. She backed off to watch what he would do. _

_Glancing around, she suddenly saw Shannon chained to a tree on her knees. She glanced up at Alex, fear written all over her face. She had been beaten; badly, Alex guessed. Blood coursed from her hairline down her face and both of her eyes were black from fatigue and from punches. Her shirt was ripped in several places, blood also coating the shirt around her wounds. Shannon then turned toward the man with the needle and gasped; a pitiful attempt at a scream. _

_Without warning, the man grabbed Shannon's hair, pulled her head aside to expose her neck, and plunged the shot straight into her neck. He began to draw out Shannon's blood; except her blood was quite dark, almost black. When he finished filling the huge needle, he released her hair and she slumped down in a faint. _

_Turning toward Alex, the man squirted the blood into a small, animal-skinned bag and rolled it around in his palms. Then he injected the needle back into the bag and drew out the blood again. A bright light reflected through the vial and the blood had turned a beautiful amber color. Alex was going to be sick, as the lava-lamp-like chunks in it were pieces of Shannon's very own flesh. _

Gasping out loud, Alex freaked and dropped the shot. It instantly shattered all over a rock, glass shards flying everywhere. Alex stood up quickly and walked to the edge of the cave wall and leaned on it with one hand, her face gazing at the ground. "Shit," was all she could say. "_Shit!"_

Sayid fairly flew to Alex's side to comfort her. Everyone else backed away from the shards of glass so as not to get stabbed by them.

"Um…what just happened?" Charlie asked hesitantly.

"Alex…" Sayid said softly. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Alex muttered thickly. "I saw Shannon…"

"What?" Jack said urgently.

"Where?" Sun also chimed in.

"I don't know where…" turning to look at Sayid full in the face, Alex said, "That stuff that was in that _thing_, that needle…" here she gulped. "That was part of Shannon."

Hurley paled and all of a sudden, he slumped to the floor in a faint. Everyone's attention immediately turned to Hurley, save for Alex's. Instead, she turned and walked quickly out of the cave, her strength not quite back enough for her to run out.

Jack quickly bent over Hurley and asked, "Hurley? Hurley? Come on, man…Hurley?" Jack started shaking him a little. Kate shook her head and rolled her eyes, then came over to Hurley and slapped him _hard_ across his cheek. Hurley moaned and opened his eyes again.

Sayid heard Alex move and saw her walking out. Jogging a couple of steps, he fell into step with Alex and they walked silently together. Looking back toward the cave, Sayid nodded at Jack who had looked up at them and Jack nodded back, silent permission flowing between the two.

**After a while…**

Sayid and Alex walked for a ways until Alex stopped suddenly. She leaned against a tree and looked to the sky; a silent tear rolled down her cheek.

Sayid, saying nothing, simply took his hand to the side of her face and wiped it away with his thumb. Alex turned her head to lean closer into his hand; she closed her eyes and sighed. Sayid put both hands to her cheeks and turned her head toward him. Alex's eyes opened, her blue eyes watery with tears, and she silently gazed at him. Sayid leaned in and their lips met, softly, ever so softly.

Chills raced through Alex's system and goose bumps freckled her arms and back. Suddenly, Alex pulled away from Sayid, and turned her gaze to her right and down, as if ashamed.

Sayid's eyes questioned her and Alex felt his gaze on her so she looked back at him. "Sayid…" she said softly, breaking the tranquility of the silent forest. Sayid simply tilted his head slightly to the right, inquiring without words.

"The things I saw…" Alex began. "They keep flashing through my mind, over and over. Awful things…" here Alex turned her gaze over Sayid's arm and stared off into space. "Awful things…" Sayid still said nothing, only tilted his head a little farther to bring her gaze back to his. He was unsuccessful.

"Fire…blood…bodies…faces…" Alex slowly said, closing her eyes to block the visions. "Everyone…killed…awful ways…" tears began to pour once again down her face. Sayid gently pulled Alex into an embrace and she willingly accepted it this time. Sayid stroked her hair and whispered to her, "Shh…shh…everything's alright…shh…shh…"

Still crying, Alex managed to say, "Sayid…don't leave me. I'm so scared…"

"Shh, shh…I know…I know…" Sayid said sagely. "I won't leave you…shh…shh…"

"How do you know that though?" Alex said, breaking away from Sayid suddenly. "How do you know that some_ thing_ out there isn't just waiting for us? How do you know we won't all die here on this godforsaken island!" Alex was beginning to yell now.

Sayid held up his hands in surrender. "Easy, easy, Alex. I don't know all of that, but I _do_ know that I will never leave you."

"But you _don't_ know that, Sayid!" Alex said frustrated. "All of my dreams have come true, _every single one of them_! I'm so scared this one will come true…I don't want that, Sayid! I'll never forget what I saw… There's something out there, Sayid, whether you want to admit it or not. _There are other people on this island, Sayid!" _

"Yes, Alex I understand that!" Sayid snapped back. "I understand that this island is not what it appears to be," his tone softening. "I _know_ that there are other people here, dangerous people, and that monster, what ever it is, is out there as well. I don't know if we shall all die here; I'd like to think not because we have done well for now." Sayid paused, waiting to hear a response from Alex.

Alex put her finger tips between her eyebrows and closed her eyes. "You're right," she said dropping her hand. "I'm sorry, it's just I'm so terrified by what I've seen…how do you put up with it? Day after day, torturing images running through your head…"

Now it was Sayid's turn to be quiet. He sat there for a moment, his thoughts racing behind his eyes. "I just got used to it, I guess. It has been a while since I have done any of those things. Please, let's not talk about this sort of thing now."

Alex nodded and turned to walk off in the direction they were headed. Sayid started to follow, but she quickly turned around and said, "No, Sayid. I need to be alone. Please."

"No. No way. I'm not going to lose you again," Sayid said, rushing forward to grab her arm lightly. "If you go out there, I don't know if you'll come back to me."

Alex sighed. "Alright, how about I go down to the beach and be alone there? Will _that_ make you happy?" she said sarcastically.

Sayid raised one eyebrow at the sarcasm but finally sighed, "Yes, Alex. That would make me happy," he said equally sarcastically.

Alex lightened her gaze on Sayid and smiled back tiredly. "Thank you, Sayid."

"For what?"

Alex paused, adding to the effect of her words. "For being there."

Sayid smiled and Alex smiled back, too. Sayid held out his elbow and Alex took it gratefully, and so they walked arm in arm toward the beach, heading into the beautiful red sunset, with only their shadows following them.


	26. Flowers and stars

Chapter 26 to a LOST Love

Back at the caves, Hurley had woken up and was sitting up against a wall, drinking some water with Sun crouched next to him. Charlie was next to him, poking fun at him with Claire telling Charlie, though laughing, to stop teasing Hurley.

"Jack," Kate said, walking up to him. Jack turned to look at her and said, "Yea?"

"I'm really worried about Alex and Sayid. Well not so much Sayid as Alex 'cause he can take care of himself. But last time Alex was alone…_that_ happened," Kate said, looking outside. She crossed her arms over her shoulders and shivered slightly.

Jack put a hand on her shoulder. "Kate, it's okay. Sayid's with Alex and he can take care of both of them. Trust me, everything's okay."

Kate smiled slightly and nodded, not getting the answer she wanted. She then walked out of the cave and turned left, heading into the forest, leaving Jack to stare after her. Jack's gaze softened and he sighed longingly.

Kate walked a ways, her arms crossed, thinking, when suddenly she found Sawyer in the middle of the forest. He was walking toward the beach and Kate noticed he had a bunch of flowers in his hand.

Kate "accidentally" stepped on a twig to let Sawyer know she was coming and he whipped around to his right. Upon seeing Kate, he relaxed, smiled slightly and headed in her direction.

Kate's heart was beginning to beat faster. _GOD_ _he's gorgeous!_ Kate fought her natural impulses, saying in her head _Katherine! Get a hold of yourself! This is SAWYER we're looking at here!_ She couldn't stop her heart from lurching when he finally stepped in front of her and stopped.

"Hey, Freckles. What are you doin' out here in the middle of the jungle?" Sawyer asked.

Kate shrugged playfully. "Oh, I dunno. I was just takin' a walk, that's all." Glancing down at the flowers, Kate asked nonchalantly, "And who are those for?"

Sawyer, too, glanced quickly down at the flowers as if he'd forgotten they were there. Looking back at her and grinning, he said, "Well, sweetheart, I guess you caught me." He held up the flowers in front of him.

Kate took them gently from him, her touch lightly brushing over his hand. She smelled them and a powerful, rich aroma seized her. "Oh, Sawyer," Kate breathed. "These are beautiful…" she inhaled their amazing scent again. When she looked at them, they were all different colors, ranging from scarlet to a soft blue.

"Took me a while to find 'em," Sawyer said. Then he slyly added, "I think I deserve a little reward for all my hard work."

At that, Kate looked back up at his grinning face, knowing exactly what he wanted. Slowly, Kate walked forward to Sawyer, never letting go of his blue eyes. Her hand slowly slid up his chest and she stopped right over his heart. She could feel it pulsing slightly under his shirt and she felt the temperature of his body. Both Sawyer's and Kate's smiles had dropped, and now the tension between them was startlingly high.

Slowly, as if moving in a dream, Sawyer crept his hand up to Kate's neck and behind her ear, and then they both leaned in and kissed each other. Kate's emotions were whirling inside of her, and Sawyer was already up in heaven.

On and on they kissed, neither willing to let go. They were crushing the flowers between them, and the crushed petals were giving off a beautiful smell. Between the smell, their surroundings, and their passion, Kate and Sawyer sealed their love with that fantastic kiss.

**Alex and Sayid…**

Down at the beach, Alex and Sayid were lying on the sand, staring into the night sky glittering with stars. Alex was resting her head in the crook of Sayid's shoulder and he wrapped the rest of his arm around her, very gingerly touching her back so as not to hurt her wounds. Alex had placed her left hand on Sayid's chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing.

Alex sighed, "Oh, Sayid. They are so beautiful, aren't they?"

"Mmhmm," was all Sayid said.

"Do you know any of the constellations?" Alex asked him. "I can't tell at all. They all just look like a bunch of scattered stars from here."

Sayid moved his head around for a second until he pointed, "Look, there's Ursa Minor, the small bear." Taking Alex's hand off his chest, she pointed her finger and he drew where the stars took the shape of the bear.

"And here, Cassiopeia, the queen," he said next. This one was harder to draw and Alex giggled slightly.

Moving his head around again to find another, Sayid said, "There's Venus up there, too."

"Ok, now I _know_ what Venus looks like," Alex said. "My dad showed me what it looked like on our camping trips. I don't see her at all."

"I was just kidding," Sayid said. He sighed, "The goddess of love does not shine here tonight."

"Ah, but doesn't she?" Alex asked softly. Sayid turned his gaze to look into Alex's shining eyes and he smiled slightly.

"Yes, of course she does," Sayid replied. And then they kissed, and may I say they kissed for a _very_ long time.


	27. They want you

Chapter 27 to a LOST Love

Alex opened her eyes slightly against the sun the next morning, blissfully happy. Closing her eyes again, she breathed in the smell of Sayid, the intoxicating smell that made her nerves spiral. She looked up at Sayid's still sleeping face and smiled. She languidly stretched like a cat and sighed again peacefully.

Swiveling her head to search for her clothes, she gently removed Sayid's arm once she found them. Crawling over to grab her clothes, Alex put her underwear and bra on before realizing that she was completely covered in sand. She reached up to finger comb her hair away from her face and found that that was coated with sand as well. Her skin was starting to itch, too.

The crashing of the ocean to her right made her turn her head to look at it. The morning had dawned beautifully and the ocean was a sparkling aquamarine. Walking slowly to the surf, enjoying the soft sand on her feet, Alex stepped lightly in the water and found, much to her surprise, that the ocean was quite warm. And so, wading farther into the sea, Alex dove into an oncoming wave and swam underwater for a bit, sand billowing out behind her as it fell from her body.

Sayid woke up without opening his eyes at first. He filled his lungs with the clean salty air and breathed out through an open mouth, sighing as he did. Every muscle in his body felt used to the max and that felt _wonderful_. Without opening his eyes still, Sayid pulled his arm in to feel for Alex and pulled it farther than he meant to. He touched his own side without feeling her and that caused him to squint his eyes open against the glaring sun. He looked to his left where Alex had been the night before and only saw an empty groove in the sand where she had lain.

Sitting up on his hands as quickly as he could, still being slightly groggy from sleep, Sayid looked around and saw that her clothes were still there where he had tossed them last night. Looking around, he saw nobody, only trees, sand, sky and ocean. Looking down at the clothes again, Sayid noticed that there were footprints leading away from the clothes. His gaze followed the footprints and saw that they led straight to the water's edge.

His eyes followed the path of the footprints into the ocean and saw something pop up out of the water. It was Alex! Breathing a sigh of relief to still his rapidly beating heart, Sayid sank down to his elbows and watched her.

Alex, seeing Sayid awake, waved slightly and began to walk out of the water. Sayid was literally going to melt as one of his fantasies was unfolding right before him: _Alex, walking smoothly out of the ocean, her beautiful body soaking wet…_well, we get the idea.

Finally, Alex reached him and knelt down in the sand next to him, getting her knees and calves sandy yet again. Smiling, Alex said, "Hey."

"Hey," Sayid responded back. Nothing more needed to be said as Alex leaned in to kiss him again.

Alex was the first to break away as she sighed, "We'd better get dressed, huh?"

Sayid nodded, smiling sadly, and stood up to get dressed. Alex was already mostly dressed but she turned around anyways to give Sayid some privacy and to finish dressing. Sayid did the same, not that he needed to, but he was just being polite.

Suddenly, a crashing through the trees alarmed Alex and Sayid and they both whipped around. There was Locke, stumbling onto the sand and falling over onto his hands and knees. His shirt was coated in blood and he was limping quite badly. "Somebody help!" Locke managed to get out before falling completely flat on his stomach.

Racing toward Locke, Alex and Sayid knelt next to him and turned him over onto his back. Sayid picked up Locke's head and lifted him up onto Sayid's knees to support him. Locke was breathing hard and squinted his eyes to see them.

"Locke…" Alex said. "What happened?"

Locke turned his gaze toward Alex, still panting. He paused a moment to collect himself before saying, "They want _you." _Then he passed out against Sayid's stomach and didn't move.


	28. Divided we fall

Chapter 28 to a LOST Love

Charlie and Claire were sitting on a plane seat, taking turns holding her baby. Charlie kept making funny faces at Marie every time he held her to make her laugh. And laugh she did. She was so cute when she laughed; Charlie thought she looked a lot like Claire when she did.

Walt came over to sit with them as Michael was elsewhere and Vincent was tired of playing fetch. Claire even let Walt hold Marie for a bit and Walt was pretty good at it. The baby smiled a few times in his arms before slowly drifting off to sleep.

"Hey!" a voice shouted.

Claire, Charlie, and Walt all turned their heads to find Sayid carrying a bloody someone over his shoulders and Alex jogging next to him. Walt handed the baby over to Claire quickly before rushing up to Sayid asking, "Is Mr. Locke okay? Is Mr. Locke okay?"

Turning his head slightly to look at Walt, Sayid said panting from the exertion of carrying Locke, "I don't know. Hurry and find Jack." With that, Walt raced off to go find Jack.

Unable to bear Locke's weight any longer, Sayid sank down to one knee heavily, and with Alex and Charlie's help, was able to get Locke off his back and onto the sand. Locke began to moan, "They want her…they want her…"

Confused, Charlie flicked his glance between Alex and Sayid and asked, "What's he talking about?"

Exchanging a glance, Alex looked away and Sayid looked back at Charlie. "We were on the beach when Locke surprised us there. We asked him what was wrong and all he said was "They want _you_." He looked straight at Alex when he said that. I don't know if he was talking about her or somebody else in his delirium."

"More than enough explanation, Sayid!" a voice called out. Sayid looked over Charlie's shoulder to see Jack running toward them with Walt leading the way.

"Good, you're here," Alex said. Jack nodded toward Sayid and Alex before sinking down to his knees to check on Locke.

"Locke. Locke! Can you hear me?" Jack called out. All he got was a moan from Locke and the words, "They want her."

"Something's gotten to him," Jack said. "Maybe it's that monster out there, maybe it's a person, I don't know," he said quickly to silence Alex's almost asked question. She shut her mouth and continued to look at Locke.

"Help me get him back to the caves, Sayid," Jack said standing up.

Sayid's face fell at the idea of having to carry Locke again and Charlie noticed this. "I'll help you, Jack," he said.

Jack nodded and together, they hoisted Locke up, with Charlie grabbing his shoulders and Jack grabbing under Locke's knees. Together the two walked off toward the caves with Locke as their luggage.

Alex sighed after the two and shook her head. "How many of us, Sayid?"

Sayid turned to look at her. "What?"

"How many of us will it take?" Alex replied, still staring after the two. "Divided we fall…"

"But united we stand," Claire said sincerely. Turning to look at her, Sayid and Alex quietly questioned her with their eyes.

Looking down at Marie, as if suddenly embarrassed, Claire continued, "We're all here in this…this place together. The only time the monster's taken any of us, like Boone or Shannon or even Locke, is because we were alone and scared." Here she looked up at the two. "I mean, I know _I_ was. I was, and still am, terrified of this place. It only makes it better for me because I'm with other people, like you two."

Smiling, Alex came over to Claire and hugged her. Breaking away, she said, "Of course, Claire. We're all in this together. I just hope that Boone and Shannon and Locke are alright," she sighed.


	29. The romp and the vision

Chapter 29 to a LOST Love

Later that night, Alex was sitting by the fireside alone. She was thinking about earlier that day and all of its events, the good and the bad. Sighing, Alex put her head in her hands, and then moved her hands in front of her face. She interlaced her fingers and pressed her lips to her thumbs, contemplating in her mind.

A soft moan was heard from beyond the trees where Alex sat. Alex perked up her ears but heard nothing. Must have been a figment of her imagination…she sighed again and suddenly she heard the moan again…and another…

Rising up of the sand, Alex carefully dusted herself off and slowly crept toward the direction of the moaning, not wanting to scare whoever was there. Moving agonizingly slow, she lightly brushed away leaves from her body so as not to make too much noise. The moans were beginning to get louder, but they sounded now as if they were trying to be smothered.

Alex finally found the source of the noise, but she hesitated to peek around the tree that she stood behind. There were now two sources of moans, and Alex knew _exactly_ what the heck they were doing. Curiosity was driving her insane to figure out whom the culprits were, and so, taking a deep breath silently, she peeked around the tree trunk.

What she saw almost made her gasp out loud: Sawyer and Kate were going at it right there in front of her! They weren't completely naked, but darn close; Sawyer still had his jeans relatively on and Kate had her shorts around her feet and her bra was still on. It was rapidly coming off, though…Kate and Sawyer were locked in a kiss and their moans were muffled by each others' lips. Alex noticed a ton of beautiful flowers by the couple that were coming apart from their bouquet.

Alex whipped around the tree trunk, stifling her gasp and her giggles. _Finally_ somebody else was having fun around here, too! Completely forgetting her silence and grinning widely, Alex started to walk off when she stepped on a twig and this huge _crack_ echoed through the forest. This was no ordinary stick-breaking-crack; this was a huge-stick-breaking-crack. Alex instantly froze and listened for noises.

Suddenly, the noises from the couple stopped. Alex heard Sawyer say, "What the hell was that?"

"I dunno," replied Kate. Alex heard them get up off each other and rapidly scramble to put their clothes on. Alex tiptoed as quietly as she could, but quickly, to get out of there.

Once Alex started to hit sand again in the forest, she stopped trying to be quiet and she ran toward her campfire, her giggles now coming out softly. Bursting through the trees, she saw Sayid standing there, searching for her.

"Sayid!" Alex said surprised.

Sayid looked up at her and smiled. He started to walk over to her.

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked, still slightly shocked, but trying to be nice.

That stopped Sayid in his tracks, his smile falling. Seeing that, Alex smiled to encourage him that she meant no disrespect, Alex giggled full out now. "Oh, Sayid," she said, jogging over to him. "You'll never guess what I just saw!"

Smiling back curiously, Sayid asked, "And what is it that you saw, my darling?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer in for a kiss. She kissed back willingly, and then she whispered in his ear. As she did, Sayid's eyebrows rose in shock and he laughed in surprise.

When she pulled back, he asked laughingly, "Really?"

Alex nodded. "But you can't tell _anybody_, Sayid. _No one!_" she said, instantly serious. She pointed her finger at him to emphasize her point.

"Aww, please!" Sayid pleaded childishly, clasping his hands together.

"No!" Alex laughed. "No, no, no! She'd _kill_ me if word got out!"

At that Sayid instantly sobered up. His smile dropped from his face and he turned away from her as if ashamed. Alex's smile, too, faded the second his did.

"Oh, Sayid," she said breathily. "I'm so sorry, I…I…"

He turned back to her. "You died once to me. I can't even think about that again. When you died, everything to me shattered; _everything_. Please, don't…don't say that again."

"Oh, Sayid, I'm so sorry," Alex rushed up to him, hugging him fiercely. "Forgive me, Sayid." He hugged her back and breathed in her scent for comfort. She, too, breathed in his.

Suddenly, through the trees came Sawyer with Kate right behind him. Seeing the two there, Sawyer asked huffily, "What did you see?"

Alex and Sayid looked at each other and Alex winked. Turning back to Sawyer, Sayid feigned innocence and asked, "See what?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about, Mohammad!" Sawyer said, angrily, starting to quickly walk toward Sayid.

"Sawyer!" Kate said warningly. He paid no heed and kept coming toward Sayid.

Alex stepped in front of Sayid, shielding him with her arms. "We saw _nothing_, Sawyer," she said dangerously. She was still so fragile, and to see her protecting Sayid softened Sawyer's rage. He glowered at Sayid once more and he took off in another direction. Kate turned back to the two and mouthed, "Sorry," to them and walked after Sawyer.

Alex sighed. Turning back to Sayid, she said, "I'm serious, Sayid. _Not a soul!_ I shouldn't have even told _you_."

"Well, I'm glad that you did," Sayid responded back smoothly. He put his arms around her back again and they kissed once more. Senses were swirling in a familiar pattern for the two, fireworks exploding behind their closed eyes.

Without warning, Alex broke out of their kiss with a gasp and her eyes clouded over. Sayid could see her pupils had gone huge, but she didn't see him at all.

_Fire and smoke…Alex was in a familiar place again. Everything was dark save for tiki torches burning to give some light. She was in that awful place of her dreams, the place of torture. Except this time, no one was racked up on the walls or hung or cut away at; there was no one there. Every rock was as she remembered it, every groove in the rock wall. Suddenly, she heard a sigh behind her and she whipped around. _

_There was a huge black beast in front of her, it's back turned toward her. She heard tearing noises coming from the thing and she slowly walked two steps to the right. The thing didn't even notice her as she moved and suddenly she saw what the thing was doing. _

_Sayid was the thing the beast was tearing at. The beast was eating Sayid! Sayid's throat had been slashed open viciously and his organs were being eaten by the beast. The beast appeared cat-like in its fluid movements. Blood was slowly running toward Alex's shoe and when it finally touched it, she shrieked as loudly as she possibly could. _

Alex shrieked loudly in real life and Sayid took her by the shoulders and shook her. "Alex! Alex!" he kept crying out to her. Finally, Alex stopped screaming for a second and fainted in Sayid's arms.

"Shit! Alex!" Sayid called out. "Shit!" He scooped her up awkwardly and shifted her slight weight in his arms. He ran away from the campfire and toward help.


	30. He's dead!

Chapter 30 to a LOST Love

"Help! Somebody!" Sayid cried out, racing to the caves. "Shit!" he said to himself. "Help!"

Suddenly, he saw Charlie appear from the cave entrance and look about wildly. "Charlie!" Sayid cried out. Charlie whipped his head around and said, "Oh, _shit!_" before running over to Sayid.

"Oh, God, Sayid what happened?" Charlie asked.

"I don't know, all of a sudden she just screamed and fainted in my arms!" Sayid said quickly. They jogged into the cave quickly and Sayid saw Jack attending to Locke with Kate and a few other survivors looking on.

"Jack! Alex needs help!" Sayid practically yelled, crashing to his knees on the cave floor hard to set her down.

"Well, so does Locke, Sayid!" Jack said frustratedly back. He continued to bend over Locke and finally Sayid realized what he was doing…he was draining his own blood into Locke's veins. Locke had lost so much blood, especially all over Sayid. Kate, instead, came over and joined Sayid and Charlie.

"What happened, Sayid?" Kate asked. She held her hair with one hand and bent over Alex's mouth to check her breathing.

"We were just standing there, and all of a sudden she must have seen a vision because she screamed and fainted," Sayid said for the second time. "It must have been awful the way she was shrieking like that."

Suddenly, Alex moaned and opened her eyes. Sayid instantly rushed to her, pushing Kate out of the way. "Oh, thank God, Alex, you're alright," he started to say, before Alex instantly screamed at him in fear, her eyes going huge.

Reacting quickly, Sayid's eyebrows shot up and he said, "Alex! Alex, it's okay! It's me!"

Alex eyesdidn't comprehend him at all and she freaked out. Standing up really fast, she ran out of the cave in fear. Sayid instantly jumped up and ran after her. Charlie rolled his eyes to Kate, saying, "Here we go again…" She elbowed him hard.

"Shit, guys! What did you do!" Jack yelled at them, having stood up quickly.

"Nothing, Jack!" Charlie yelled back. "Honest, she was passed out, and when she woke up she screamed at us and took off!" He gestured emphatically toward their direction of flight.

"Shit!" Jack said, calming down. He looked down at Locke and rubbed his hand over his mouth in frustration.

"They want…they want…" Locke suddenly said quietly. They all rushed to his side.

"What, what do they want, Locke?" Jack asked loudly.

"They want…Alex…they want…they want…her…" he managed to get out. "Aah! This hurts! Aah my leg!" he cried out.

"He's reallyconscious!" Kate suddenly said. "Locke, Locke!" she yelledto him.Meanwhile, Jack had rushed to Locke's lower halfand found that he had missed a broken leg! He had been so worried about Locke's blood loss, he had completely forgotten to check the rest of his body for any other injuries.

"Shit! Guys, hold Locke down! I'm gonna reset his leg," Jack said, preparing himself.

"No way, Jack! You haven't given him any pain medication!" Kate cried out.

"There's no time, Kate!" Jack yelled back. "If his leg is going to heal right, I have to set it_ now!_ You there, come help hold him down!" He gestured with his head to two other survivors. They came over and each got on one side of Locke; one leaned across Locke's chest and the other held his shoulders.

"Stop wasting time, Jack!" Locke suddenly cried out. "Set it now!" he panted heavily.

"Alright, alright Locke!" Jack said. "I'll set it now…I'm going to count to three and when I get to three I'm going to put the bone back together. It's been broken in…" he felt along Locke's leg lightly, "…three places. Jesus…"

"One…" he started to count. The men on Locke's body tensed up, preparing for Locke's reaction.

"Two…" he said slowly, and in that instant, Jack snapped the bone back in its places. Locke screamed to high heaven and lashed out in surprise. The men on his body weren't prepared for it either but they managed to hold him down as he screamed in agony.

"Jack!" Charlie said angrily. "You said you were going to count to three before you did it!"

"It's an old trick," Kate said quickly, coming to Jack's defense. "If he would have counted to three, Locke would have tensed up causing the bone to not have slid in its places right." Charlie said nothing to that, still thinking Jack should have counted to three.

**The forest chase…**

"Alex! Alex wait! Stop!" Sayid screamed out as he ran toward her.

Alex looked behind her once and ran even faster. She screamed one time in utter terror, her eyes not focusing on anything. Sayid didn't even think she was running from _him_; it was her mind playing tricks on her. On and on she ran until suddenly they burst through to a clearing and there in front of her was the waterfall and the lake below it.

Without even thinking Alex dove off the edge of the edge of the rocks and into the pool of water.

"Alex, no!" he cried out. Sayid skidded to a halt before he could fall off, sliding on small loose rocks before stopping. He watched her, breathing heavily, as she swam across the lake. She swam sporadically, intent on escaping her pursuer with no thought to swimming gracefully.

As Sayid watched, Alex swam closer and closer to the waterfall. He almost called out to her to stop, but as he watched, she swam slightly to the right of it and suddenly disappeared from sight! Sayid freaked out and started to kick off his shoes to jump in after her, but then he saw the flash of her hair and shirt getting out of the water and climbing the rocks. She climbed slowly behind the waterfall, looking once in Sayid's direction before going directly behind the waterfall and not coming out.

"Shit…" Sayid mumbled before running a hand over his sweaty upper lip. "Shit!" he said again as he dropped his hand, frustrated. He looked again at the waterfall to see if she would come out, but she didn't.

Suddenly, a piercing shriek echoed through the forest. At that, Sayid snapped and, kicking off his shoes and his shirt, he dove into the freezing lake. Surfacing, he gasped with the surprising coldness and began to swim quickly toward the waterfall. All those years of army training really helped him with his swimming and he swam all the faster.

Finally he reached the roaring waterfall. Remembering that Alex turned right before she reached it, he did the same. He took a deep breath to avoid the spray of the water that was clouding his vision, he dove underwater and resurfaced when his outstretched hand touched rocks in front of him.

Grabbing onto the slick rocks, Sayid hoisted himself out of the water, water spilling from his pockets of his pants and sliding down his body and hair. When the waterfall didn't touch him anymore, he realized that there was an opening behind the waterfall, and he hoisted himself up into it. He tried to stand up but he ended up hitting his head on the low roof. "Ah!" was all he said when he hit, and he kept crawling into the cavern.

He was in total darkness so he couldn't see at all. He finally reached up above his head but felt nothing. He slowly stood up, and encountering nothing on his outstretched hand, he relaxed and dropped it. Suddenly, Sayid heard a sigh that was more of a sob inside the cave.

"Alex?" he called out tentatively. The person stopped breathing and didn't move. Sayid couldn't tell where she was, but he knew she was in there somewhere. Walking forward approximately four steps, he suddenly tripped and fell over something soft and landed with a grunt of surprise.

"It's _him_…" Alex's voice whispered in the dark.

Not saying anything at first, Sayid felt around to see what he had tripped over as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He suddenly came in contact with…a person! "Aah!" Sayid cried out as he flew away from the body.

In fear, Sayid called out, "Alex?" He heard her draw in her breath again before she cried, "No! No! Stay away from me! No! What more do you want?"

Moving toward the sound of her voice as quickly as Sayid could, his eyes started to make out Alex's form huddled on the floor and the unconscious body. "Alex…Alex, easy. It's me, Sayid," he said. He reached out his hands and touched her face. Alex screamed again saying no,but Sayid only gripped her harder.

Her scream dying in her throat, Alex panted and reached up her hands slowly to touch his. Gasping out loud when she came into contact with his hands, she flew into Sayid's arms sobbing, "Oh, Sayid! Sayid Sayid…that's _Boone!"_

Pulling away from her embrace quickly, Sayid stared into her face. "What!" he asked loudly.

She nodded and continued to sob. "When I was running away from you, I thought I was being chased by the monster. _They_ were tricking me…when I came here and found Boone dead, my mind snapped back to reality. Oh Sayid, he's dead!" She rushed into his embrace again, crying her heart out.


	31. Taking Boone back

Chapter 31 to a LOST Love

"Oh, shit," Sayid breathed into her hair. The impact of Boone's death hit him like a sledgehammer. He never really liked Boone, but still…the island was going to kill them all, one by one…

Sighing, Sayid pulled away from Alex and looked into her eyes. Instantly she understood… "I guess we'd better take him back with us, huh?" Alex asked quietly.

Sayid nodded and sighed again. He stood up and walked over to Boone's body. "Alex," he said. "Come grab his shoulders and hoist him on my back."

Getting up, Alex wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and wiped that on her jeans. Crouching down, she touched Boone and instantly recoiled. He was covered in blood…his body was so mangled and torn up, she could hardly even _look_ at Boone, much less touch him.

"Wait," she said. "We have to swim across the lake with him. If you do it by yourself, you'll drown."

"Ah," Sayid said. "Well…then we'll have to do it together. We'll carefully lower him down the rocks and into the water and we'll go to land together, alright?"

Alex nodded, wiping her eyes again. She bent down over Boone's forehead and gently kissed it. "I'm so sorry, Boone," she whispered. Then she hoisted up Boone's shoulders and they ducked through the low passage until they came to the opening. Sayid dropped Boone's legs and lowered himself onto a few rocks. He turned back around and grabbed Boone's legs again and Alex followed him. Alex stood on a few rocks above Sayid and they gently made their way down the rocky path one step at a time, lowering Boone down as carefully as they could at the same time.

Finally, Sayid stepped in the water and they picked up the pace a little. Eventually, all three of them were in the water. Alex put Boone's arm over her shoulder on one side and Sayid did the same on the other. Then they kicked off the shore and swam, requiring great effort, to the opposite shore.

Within a minute of entering the water, the two suddenly saw Charlie burst up ahead through the trees, looking around for them, breathing heavily. He stopped, panting, at the waters' edge and continued to scan around for them. Suddenly, his gaze found them in the water and he immediately snapped to attention.

"He...Hey! Hey!" Charlie cried out, waving to them. "What are you…oh, God…" he breathed. He had seen Boone's body they were dragging and he froze instantly. "Oh, God…" He put his hands on his head in utter shock and frustration before dropping them.

Sayid, spitting out a mouthful of water, called out to Charlie, "Charlie! Stay there and help us when we get there!"

Charlie nodded. "Oh…oh…okay! Okay," he said, still unable to believe they had found Boone's body.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to both the swimmers and Charlie, they reached the shore line and dragged Boone out of the water, his arms still around their shoulders. The two were breathing heavily from the exertion; Boone was quite heavy. They laid him down on the pebbly beach and Alex sank to her knees in exhaustion. Sayid remained standing, but bent over and put his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

"Guys," Charlie asked. "Is he…?"

Without saying anything, Alex simply nodded her head, her wet hair waving back and forth like dead tendrils. Sayid, too, nodded his head once.

Suddenly, Alex looked up. "What about Shannon? Who's going to tell her?"

"We don't even know where Shannon _is_, Alex," Charlie said smartly. "How the hell are we 'sposed to tell her that her brother mysteriously died when we don't even know where _she_ is?"

"Ok, ok, Charlie!" Alex shot back. "Sorry! I was just asking! Good grief…"

"Enough, guys," Sayid said tiredly. "We have to take him back to the others."

"Oh, _great_," Charlie said sarcastically. "_More_ blood on my t-shirts…Locke's, Alex's, and now Boone's…_shit!"_

"Alright then Charlie, if you're such a wuss, _I'll_ do it," Alex said angrily. Bending down to grab Boone's shoulders, she tried to hoist him back up. Charlie, letting Sayid catch his breath, bent down and scooped up Boone's legs. He looked apologetically at Alex, begging her to forgive him with his eyes. Looking back into his eyes, Alex sighed and nodded slightly, all forgiven.

They headed off into the woods back to the beach, carrying Boone's body much like they did Locke's. They just hoped that Locke wouldn't share the same fate Boone did…


End file.
